


Only Fourteen Days

by Miratriarch



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Leukemia, Self-Discovery, Self-Reflection, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-09-14 05:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16906881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miratriarch/pseuds/Miratriarch
Summary: Sasuke finds out after almost eighteen years that he has a daughter and that she's sick with leukemia. He is the only one who can save her if not for the fact that he's framed for someone's death. He'll need to enter in a journey of survival to secure his new-found daughter's chances of living. A woman will help him along the way. /SSS and NHBH with BoruSara - but not centric.





	1. A Crashing Past

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

" _It wasn't me."_

" _It wasn't me."_

" _It wasn't me."_

" _It wasn't me."_

" _It wasn't me!"_

" _It wasn't me!"_

" _It wasn't me!"_

_Sasuke murmured repeatedly in front of the dead woman's blood-covered body as he flung the bloody knife away._

_He had used his bare hands to do it… the fool._

_He'd been summoned to her house, to their trap. He had been in the wrong place in the wrongest of times he could ever be._

_The woman – he couldn't even remember her name – was on the floor, her brown eyes were facing at his direction – but not at him. Her usual Chinese double buns styled brown hair now were down – it would've probably reached her mid-waist if Sasuke had ever seen her like that._

_He never did._

_Not for a single minute, not for a single time had he given a second glance toward her whenever she came to the shop and now, he was paying for it._

_Why now?_

_Why him?_

_Most importantly… Why him again?_

Sasuke had obviously been arrested and now he was sitting in the backseat of a police car, accompanied by two other police officers, one sitting by his right side and the other one at the driver's seat. His hands were already bound by the handcuffs, and around them was a small and fluffy towel to keep the blood loss in control. They'd been wounded during his time in custody. Yes, he had already been past that stage.

They were bringing him to prison this time. They would put him in a cell, behind the cold iron shutters and right into the wolves' den where he would be eaten. He would be killed…

And  _she_ would die too.

He had one job to do and he was going to fail miserably. Sasuke swallowed deeply, painfully being reminded of the scar that was visible across his throat. Someone had attempted against him during his time in custody too. His scar was enough of a proof that he had been so close to being choked to death.

Sasuke had been quick to turn the tables in his favor, but the other guy had been quick to play the victim too, causing Sasuke to end up being deemed as crazy. Crazy enough to commit suicide.

_As if he had that luxury. As if he had the guts._

He turned to look at his left, thankful that it did not raise a reaction out of the other two officers and saw a car speeding over the orange traffic lights.

It was just a split second, but the driver – the woman – glanced at his direction with tear-filled eyes, before looking to the front again and kicking the steering wheel frustratingly.

Sasuke had a second job to do. He shouldn't,  **in any circumstances** , gain any big wounds on his body.

But probably, he did.

The car made a quick half-turn and collided with an upcoming truck that caused it to spin to the side. The only thing that Sasuke saw with his blurred black eyes was his head resting on his unconscious companion's shoulder.

_*Three days earlier*_

* * *

 

_**A Crashing Past!** _

Sasuke wiggled his unlit cigarette between his lips as he was waiting for a phone call while being sat on the bench close to  _Akatsuki_   _Club_  looking at the sunset. He might've been waiting for it, but actually, he would be happier if he just decided not to receive it. He really was not looking forward to being a pretty face for yet another rich woman. And yet, he had to make a living somehow.

Working in the shop with the other guys couldn't possibly be enough.

It would be enough for him if he had been living on its own, but it'd been years since that had changed. He and his pal Yahiko – and sometimes his girlfriend Konan – occupied a small flat that was anything but clean and organized.

It did not help the fact that Sasuke had lost a lot of money at the game yesterday either. Sasuke sighed and dropped the cigarette on the ground, taking a mint gum in his mouth instead.

He grunted when he heard his cell vibrating in his pocket. The moment he took it out the name  _Jugo_  was displayed on its screen, glaring up at him. Sasuke glared right back. He knew what the guy on the other end was going to say to him even before he answered the call. The Mitarashi woman was at the club again. Damn it!

He got up off the bench and walked with his hands in his pockets. Once inside the prestigious place, his ears got assaulted by the  _Papa Americano_  song that Sasuke heard each and every day, so much so that he hated it with every ounce of his being. His nostrils were attacked by the different types of beverages as well when he saw the waiters serving the costumers before spotting him and greeting him with a bow of their heads.

"Welcome, sir." Jugo greeted him with a slight bow of his own. Sasuke only nodded, chewing on his piece of gum. "She is looking for you again."

"Jugo," Sasuke began with a smirk on his lips but that ended the moment his next words got out from his mouth and his hand rested on the other man's broad shoulder. "Do I look like a host to you?" he asked him with a soft voice before kicking the orange-haired man close to his private area, almost making him double over.

"Ow, damn you," Jugo began. "Mitarashi ordered a 30-year-old whiskey… and is looking for you. What was I supposed to do?" he complained.

Sasuke sighed and extended his hand close to the guy's face. "Pay me."

"But, she's going to pay you later when –"

"Did I stutter?"

"… Fine. Tch…" he dug into his pocket to find his wallet and the moment he got that out, Sasuke reached for it and snatched it away from him, taking his chance to take all the money inside when the man did nothing but gape at him.

"Here!" Sasuke tossed the empty wallet to its owner.

"Wha – what did you just do?"

"Took what belongs to me dude."

"Those were my money." Jugo retorted.

"You will make plenty for tonight." Sasuke said.

"At least make her order another whiskey." Jugo pleaded.

"Like she's not going to blackout after just one bottle."

"Bastard!"

Sasuke winked at him and walked past the man and right to his table, where a slightly older lady with dark violet hair sat –– mind you, she always dressed up as if she was in her twenties. Who was she wanting to impress was beyond Sasuke to comprehend but he shrugged it off.

"Hey, you came." he fainted interest.

"Yeah, I did," began the busty woman. "Why are you so late?" she asked with make-up induced blush on her cheeks.

"I was busy!" Sasuke explained shortly, taking the bottle of whiskey and serving both of them. "Why did you come alone tonight? Last time your friends were accompanying you."  _And keeping you off my neck!_

"Don't make it like you don't know 'suke." Sasuke's right eye twitched at the pet name. "You know that I only come here to see you."

Sasuke chuckled. "Do I live in this club? Why do you keep doing that?"  _a.k.a._   _Go die!_

"Because I have something to give you but you never call me and I don't have your number."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his dark eyes at that. As if he'd do that mistake. He wouldn't have a single minute of peace if he did.

"Here," Anko said as she showed him a bag. "What's this?" Sasuke asked her, peeking inside with raised eyebrows.

Anko put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her palm, looking at him warmly.

"Wow, this is…" Sasuke glanced at the woman who proceeded to chuckle at him. "It's  _Gio Bernini_ ," she said.

Sasuke gave her a chuckle of his own as he pulled the suit out of its case. "And how did you know my favorite color?"

"Black being your favorite color is the easiest thing to guess about you dear. The hardest thing was your  _size_." They both burst out laughing giving off a gleeful  _'Cheers'_  for the occasion.

One sip, one glass, one bottle…

By the time they got out of the club, Sasuke was nothing short of wasted and needed the woman's help to even walk. Forget about telling her where he lived, he couldn't even form coherent words at all, but apparently, that was amusing enough to the woman who was helping him.

He did not want her help.

He did not want to be near her.

He did not want to be such a waste.

He definitely did not want to collide himself with an upcoming car.

Those creepy yellow eyes glared at him from the backseat, when the collision interrupted his  _session_  with the hot brunet. Sasuke knew that the man had always adored the lady's soft and cute features. Though he would never know why did that woman always try to hide her face whenever he came to the club. After some time Sasuke had given up on trying to know her. But he couldn't shake the idea that she seemed familiar.

"You stupid rascal," the Four Eyes' voice crooked near his ears as he was yanked by the shirt.

"O–oh, hey Kabuto, whatcha doin'?" Sasuke asked half-consciously.

"Idiot, you want to die that badly that –"

"Oh, forgive us, Mr. Yakushi. It wasn't our intention to disturb you all." Anko chimed in, helping Sasuke on his feet.

Kabuto snorted and opened his mouth to retort but was stopped when the yellow-eyed man opened the window of his car and called out to him. Kabuto simply tsked and got inside the driver's seat, leaving the couple alone in the dark streets.

"Oh, pretty boy" Anko joked, "I don't know where you live so you'll have to be my guest tonight," she informed. "I'll take the bag for you as well." She reached for the fallen bag and took it, almost letting Sasuke fall in the process and proceeded to walk to the direction of her car, with Sasuke on her tow.

Sasuke talked in gibberish during the whole drive to Anko's apartment. Incoherent words and sentences slipped from his tongue, heck Anko could see even a tear or two rolling down his cheeks.

She heard a name as well and wondered just who did it belong that Sasuke would call it out so desperately? Whom did it belong that it was powerful enough to make him cry?...

_Sakura…_

_Sakura…_

_Sakura…_

_~ the next day~_

Sasuke woke up when the smell of female-scented covers hit his nostrils and made him realize that the comfort he had received didn't belong to his house. He opened his eyes and white curtains glared at him, a swift wind noise buzzing from the outside.

He was only on his briefs and shirt, he realized when getting off the huge bed that was clearly fit for two people… two lovers… and Sasuke silently thanked every Deity that the woman had not taken any kind of advantages of his stupid state.

Making his way toward the bathroom and shower, Sasuke glanced at the mirror, took the shirt off of his sweat-dripping body and stared at his back. A white, straight knife-carved scar stared back. It'd been there for seventeen years and it had no plans of ever fading out. It was permanent, like a tattoo. A tattoo that reminded him of everything he could've had… but he'd been too much of a coward to receive.

Whiskey had always been his biggest enemy, he realized for the thousandth time. Add a little dose of a depressing past in the mix and you get the perfect hangover. Sasuke sighed.

The fluffy white towel that rested on the holder across from the shower curtains helped him dry every single drop of water in his body before the man tossed it somewhere to his right.

He dressed up as quietly as he could, even though he wasn't aware just where the woman actually was. Maybe in another room? Or maybe out of the place? He shrugged it off and made his way out, but not before taking the  _Gio Bernini_ with him. Not because he cared about it, but Anko would probably pester him over and over in order to take it.

The only thing that Sasuke wanted was a few weeks of peace.

Walking down the streets in the morning, just after a shower, without a coffee and with a hangover was definitely the worst idea he'd ever had in years but desperate situations called for desperate measures, he thought. Folding his hands inside his pockets his fingers caressed some paper-type of things. taking them out, Sasuke was almost flabbergasted to see money,  _a lot_ of money. Had something transpired between them last night? Sasuke searched inside his memory, but couldn't remember anything besides his meeting with the Four Eyes…

His life really sucked big time.

After walking for a few more minutes, his small apartment did finally appear insight and Sasuke found himself hurrying his steps. He entered inside and found Yahiko sitting alone at the small round table, serving himself some soup. Sasuke tossed the case to his bed and walked over at the table as well, but not before washing his hands obviously.

"Oh, you're the best pal." He greeted him as he crossed his legs while sitting.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't understand just why don't you eat breakfast with your women?"

"Because I want literally nothing to do with them?" Sasuke suggested.

"How do you sleep with women you don't even love?"

Sasuke chuckled bitterly. Truth be told, it was all about punishment… but Yahiko did not need to know that. "That's why I never do them twice."

"You make me curious bro." Yahiko began. "What is your true identity? Huh?" he smirked playfully. "Are you a gangster or a good-for-nothing bastard?"

Sasuke chuckled again. "I'm a good-for-nothing gangster." He said and raised his water glass in a cheer-like motion.

"But seriously though, do you really want to keep living on like this?"

Sasuke halted for some seconds as if considering the question. "You know I have some loose screws, and people call that a defect. That's why."

"I know a man with loose screws who is crazy about new clothes though."

"What can I say," Sasuke glanced at him from the corner of his eye, swallowing his food. "Nobody knows who they're going to meet or when they're going to meet them."

"As if there is anyone who wants to meet you."

Sasuke lost his appetite. Being told the truth so bluntly had always been a bitter pill to swallow. He rose off the small crimson table and went to wash his hands. Making his way toward the mat he made sure to take the remote with him so he could relax himself watching TV.

Yeah, right!

He got bored within minutes… just where the hell were the good ol' anime when you needed them?

It was time for him to head to the shop anyway.

"Are you seriously going to wear your new suit at work?" Yahiko looked at him flabbergasted gaining a snort out of the dark-haired man.

"Dude, that's just a few blocks away."

Sasuke shrugged and Yahiko shook his head. "You really are hopeless, pal."

"Is Konan coming over?" Sasuke asked.

"Dunno. My cell is charging now and I still haven't chat her up."

"Dude, she's gonna incinerate you." Sasuke snickered.

"I'll give her a present." Yahiko chuckled as he fist-bumped with him before Sasuke took his exit and headed toward the shop. If he was being honest, Sasuke wasn't really looking forward to meeting those annoying assholes Sakon and Kidomaru at all but… work was work.

The Chinese woman was there as well; was the first thing Sasuke realized when he opened the door. He looked at her double buns from the corner of his eye. She was a woman who had – more or less – the same age as him, and yet her hairstyle was so weird and… childish?

"She's here to pawn her necklace and was waiting for you." Came Kidomaru's voice as he made himself visible from the backdoor. The woman nodded.

Sasuke sat at his usual rolling chair and extended his hand out through the little space. It reminded him of hospitals but, oh well, the shop needed it to be in that way.

"Hey, cool guy, I thought you didn't smoke," the woman joked.

"Not around you," Sasuke said without glancing up. "Give the necklace to me." He extended his right hand, still not looking.

"Did you buy a new suit?" she asked him.

Sasuke heaved a sigh. "Just take the money and go."

"I'm married you know, in case you're thinking that I'm hitting on you, idiot."

Sasuke finally looked up. "Well, I hope you're happy. Bye."

"You're so cold, man." Kidomaru joked after the woman left, and Sasuke rolled his eyes, folding today's newspaper instead of gracing him with an answer. He looked at the headlines first. They were all filled with only two names. Businessman Orochimaru Sannin, and Politician Mei Terumi. Sasuke flipped through the other pages trying to find something sweet for the eye when Sakon slammed the backdoor of the shop and barged in on where they were.

"Kido," Sakon began, his voice not matching his look. "I'm going to fucking castrate you, you fucking idiot."

Sasuke raised both eyebrows. It was not a common thing for Sakon to use such a… colorful vocabulary. Kidomaru cleared his throat, before shifting on his seat.

"Sakon," he began, "If this is for the fake gold I told you I will pay the money back as soon as I can."

"And didn't I tell you I'm not a philanthropist who takes care of people who have nowhere to go?"

"Anything else to say?" Sasuke interrupted unexpectedly, already feeling unsure of why did he do it in the first place.

"Look, pretty boy. If you're not going to be giving that money to me then stay out of other people's business."

"Yeah, right. I'll give you guys money… in your dreams."

"We don't worry that much about it," Sakon said. "Who wants the type of money you gain –"

A punch was the only thing he would ever gain out of Sasuke.

"Finish that, you  _drag_   _bitch_  I dare you." Sasuke hissed.

"You'll pay for this pretty boy." Sakon hissed back, holding his chin with his palm.

"We'll see about that." Sasuke went to take back his seat but there was a woman looking at him from the frames. She had the eyes that once had observed him whole, the hair that once had been the only scent he'd wanted to ever be bathed in with, the skin that he had longed to touch… for seventeen years…

He followed after her to the Café nearby, sitting awkwardly across from her, wanting to look at her, but not having any courage to. He felt uncomfortable and fake drinking from his – already – empty cup of Expresso was not making him feel any better.

He knew that she was not looking at him either, hence his decision to finally break the silence was made from inside of him… he hoped the decision had been wise.

"How did you…" he couldn't even finish.

"I came to ask you a favor." She said, still averting her gaze. Sasuke thanked her for it. That gaze had the ability to burn him.

"A favor?" Sasuke questioned. "From me?"

She clenched her chin several times before finally looking up. "Take a blood test," she said while sliding a card that read  _Konoha Hospital_  in the front, with a leaf-like symbol printed faintly along its surface.

"A blood test?" Sasuke repeated, taking the card with his left hand. He used his other one to scratch on his neck, thankful that his hair was not standing up like a duck's ass today. "That's… I'm sorry but…" he glanced at her, "I don't really know what you're talking about."

"I have a child. A girl. And she has acute leukemia."

So she'd continued on with her life… and had created a family even… Somewhere deep down Sasuke felt both jealous and happy for her. "Leukemia?" he questioned.

"Yes, she needs a bone-marrow transplant. But there's no donor."

"Oh," Sasuke felt like he was sweating. "I understand what you mean… but there's something I don't get… Are you asking everyone you know to take a blood test? I mean… you have continued with your life and stuff."

"She is… seventeen."

"Seventeen?" he asked slowly.

Sakura chuckled at his expression. "She thinks her father is dead. Better that than to think that he thought of her as a burden, right?"

Sasuke couldn't breathe. It was a sin for him to breathe. To live.

She glared at him from across the table, putting her elbows above it so to make her point even stronger. "Just to make sure, don't even think about seeing her. You know full well that you don't need to nor deserve to see her."

"You… you had the baby ba… back then?" Sasuke asked in a low voice, his eyes feeling teary.

"Just because you're her biological father doesn't mean you can be her donor." She informed him instead.

"I asked you if you had the baby!" he repeated again.

"It's none of your business, Sasuke." She said furiously. "Sarada already has someone that she treats like a father. Sarada already has someone with whom she dreams of spending her whole life if that life is not short that is."

 _Sarada. Sarada!_ _**Sarada…** _

"So all you have to do is to take a damn blood test. Are you going to do it or not?"

"Have you been raising her alone?"

"Forget it! I shouldn't have come to see you." She got up and walked out with Sasuke immediately on her tow.

"Why did you have it?" he demanded loudly the moment he exited the place. The question made the pink-haired woman stop, her hands itching to find something to hit hard. If it was the face of the man that had hurt her the most, it would've been even better. Instead, she contained herself. His questions were not over yet it seemed.

"Why did you have the baby?" Sasuke asked her again. "Did I tell you to do  _that_?"

She turned to face him. "I already told you that you don't have any fatherhood duties toward her. Even though she's dying I didn't look for you up until now. I wanted her not to know that you're alive. You should've remained the same."

Sasuke watched her leave, heading toward the hospital that she was working, probably. He cursed himself for forgetting to ask her about when would be the perfect time to go and take the test.

* * *

_She didn't have the strength to fight. She knew she was too far down to be saved._

" _Let me go," she croaked. "You can't pull me up." His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless. "Never," he said…_

… _He tightened his grip on her wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome. "We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."_

_Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall. "As long as we're together," she said._

_She heard the others still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above — maybe the last sunlight she would ever see. Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness._

Sarada had only one more chapter and she would finish reading her favorite book for an uncountable time when she heard Boruto opening the door to her hospital room. Sarada's mouth and stomach had desperately wanted to eat grapes, and her ever so sweet boyfriend, had agreed to go and buy some for her – not that he needed much convincing.

"Damn kid, why would anyone ride a bike without even knowing how to walk?" he moaned painfully, making his way to sit to the bedside, limping. Sarada frowned in question. "What happened?" she asked out-loud putting the book down but not moving from her crossed-legged sitting position she had on the bed.

"Some kid wasn't looking and collided with me when I exited the store," Boruto said, massaging the place just above his knee slowly after he put the plate full of grapes of different colors in the middle. Sarada hummed in understanding, even though she knew it very well that it'd probably been Boruto's fault for spacing out over their situation.

Not that she was going to mope about it.

"Yes, it was my fault. Satisfied?" Boruto pouted and Sarada chuckled, reaching out to kiss his cheek. Since her diagnosis, kissing each other's cheeks was the only thing they'd been doing… there was no hair to kiss anymore.

Sarada shook her head mentally, not wanting to depress herself over those thoughts. Yes, her long black hair was now gone… she'd gone completely bald… and her head was covered with a red shawl that reached her mid-waist. It had been a gift from him to her for her sixteenth birthday and Sarada cherished it with all her heart.

She wasn't aware that she'd been clutching in her red-and-white fan-shaped necklace up until she felt his hand move to hers and squeeze it gently. Sarada smiled and took a berry between her fingers, slowly and seductively putting it into his waiting mouth. She felt the need to swallow when his lips touched her fingers but she resisted it.

"You've been reading that book again?" Boruto felt the need to change the subject or he would probably lose control.

"What can I say?" his girlfriend began. "It's my favorite."

Boruto snorted cheekily. "You've read it countless times already."

"It's my favorite." She repeated again. "It has everything I need to feel joy. It has action, cool fights, friendships, quests," she nodded her head toward him. "romance too… it also has a reunion and a separation too." She said with a lower voice. "Overall it's emotional, sweet and bitter at the same time." She finished.

"Sweet and bitter at the same time? How?" Boruto asked.

She tsked. "If you had agreed to read it as I told you, you wouldn't have been asking those questions to me now."

"Hmm, but I'm a guy. We guys are more the spectator type, not the reader type." He said and Sarada rolled her eyes. "Sweet and bitter!" she murmured. "Himawari had always said that our first meeting is sweet and bitter." She said, reaching for another berry.

"I thought we'd agreed that it's only bitter." Boruto chuckled. "Though the collision was definitely the only one I'll never forget."

Sarada chuckled too. "We'd have other collisions later."

He shook his head. "The other ones were just fate trying desperately to glue us together."

"Ew, cheesy!" she commented.

"Whatever."

But Boruto was right. Their dynamic over the years they'd known each other had been hectic… it still was. It had happened in that first morning after her birthday. She'd woken up in a warm room, a girl with blue hair and blue eyes had greeted her, had talked to her, not even leaving her enough room to breathe. They'd found a similar interest – Art – and the girl had wanted to show Sarada her tiny studio.

_The girl – no, Himawari – took her hand and dragged her out of her new room and toward the stairs. Sarada couldn't help but chuckle as she accepted the challenge of racing her all the way to her studio… even though she technically didn't know where that was._

_She was going to lose anyway. As she was making the last turn while climbing up the stairs, she collided with someone. A boy._

" _Ow!" the boy exclaimed._

" _Boruto," Himawari called. His name was Boruto…_

" _Are you okay Sarada?" Himawari asked her to which Sarada nodded. "Boruto, you should slow down." The blue-haired girl told him._

" _I'm the one who should slow down?" Boruto glared at the both of them. "What about her?"_

" _That_ her _has a name." Sarada retorted. "An apology would've been enough." she clicked her tongue. "Oh wait, you're a boy. Boys and apologies don't mix right?"_

" _I don't mix with strangers in my house," Boruto said. "You're making traffic."_

" _Oh?" Sarada raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I didn't see any signs that read 'Beware of animals'. One would think that with your dad being a police officer there would be better warnings."_

_Silence befell them for a few precious seconds before Himawari burst out laughing. "You guys are so cute." She commented._

" _No, we're not." Both of them exclaimed loudly._

" _And in synch too!" The girl said amusedly, a singing tone in her voice could be heard._

_Boruto and Sarada glared at each other._

"I know that you just thought about how we first met and don't even try to deny it," he said bluntly, making Sarada blush.

"I did," she admitted nonetheless. "Say, Boruto," she began. "Let's go out a bit. I'm really bored."

Boruto looked at her and nodded his head. "Okay, but only for a few." He rose up and helped her as well. Sarada slid her left hand to his own waiting arm before sliding her feet into her slippers and walking out together.

"Oh, I forgot my coat," Sarada said, looking at the direction of the door. "I'll get it for you. Don't walk too far." Boruto told her, gaining a nod from her.

Sarada walked with slow steps, making sure that Boruto would meet her shortly. Even if it was just the corridor it still was a new view, new people.

A new man.

A man that had hair the same color she'd had.

A man that had the eyes the same color she did.

A man whose picture she held on her necklace every day.

Their eyes locked and understanding flashed through them both.

This man was not a stranger.

He had given her life.

He was…

He was…

" _Father!"_  Sarada breathed out.


	2. The Tunnel's End

_~a day before~_

"Oh my child, my child." A woman with short black hair sobbed loudly as a white cover fell over her son's face. "If only I'd known. If only, if only. I would've left you to do all the things you wanted." She cried, clutching on the white sheet, not wanting to leave her son's side. She tried to take the cover off, but her husband stopped her mid-way.

"Kurotsuchi, don't. He's gone now. Sekki is gone forever."

"No. No, Darui. Why? Why our son?"

"Sarada," uncle Naruto whispered to her ear. "Come, let us leave this room."

Sarada swallowed and nodded her head slowly, before taking his extended arm and walking toward the exit. It felt like a long road from Sekki's room to hers, even if they'd actually been neighbors.

"Sarada, please keep yourself together." Naruto began, rubbing her arms gently when Sarada sat on the edge of her bed. "You know that Boruto will give me an earful if he barges in right now and sees you like this, right?"

Sarada chuckled, while still not being able to stop her body from shaking. She'd tried to be strong, she'd tried to maintain her positivity even after knowing that Sekki had already given up on his life weeks ago.

"Yeah, true! To quote Shikadai, it would be troublesome." She said, glancing toward the side table, where her favorite book,  _The Mark of Athena_ , stood.

A grin was her response as the blond man reached for the book and opened it. "Boruto tells me that you've read this book over and over. What is it about?"

Sarada exchanged glances between him and the book, silently wishing for her stupid boyfriend to be here already. If only she hadn't sent him home to take a shower… but hygiene was important.

"It's about teenagers," she began, snatching the book off him and flipping it open to the chapter in which the two main characters finally reunite. "They take on dangers and always trust in each other. They never fail each other."

Naruto snorted. "So unlike my son." He commented, making Sarada laugh. "Actually, I'm glad that I have Boruto in my life," she said, smiling down at the book.

She crossed her legs on the bed and put the book between them, before turning to look at her uncle.

"Sekki wanted to play soccer even here. That guy!" she massaged her neck with her – now cold – hand and breathed her un-fallen tears away.

"That guy was crazy though," Naruto said. "Isn't he the one who challenged you in running through the corridors?"

Sarada chuckled. "Yes, he's the one. He would do so to anyone around here, but he stopped after I beat him on the challenge." She brought her hand in front of her and clutched on her fan-shaped necklace. "Though, I think Boruto must've warned him."

Naruto laughed wholeheartedly. "Yes, he wouldn't be my son otherwise." He told her. "By the way, where is your mother?"

Sarada shook her head. "I don't know. I thought she was in her office on the next floor."

"Oh? Well, I'll go and check up on her then." He winked at her. "Leaving you two some time to spend alone… hopefully, you guys decide to save something juicy for us too."

"Not a chance, haha" Sarada squirmed as Naruto tried to tickle her, before walking toward the door, but not before giving her the "bye-for-now" sign.

Sarada sighed and glanced outside the window, where the night sky had already covered the city. Her eyes landed on the walking figure of her blond boyfriend and she smiled.

In no way did she want to look sad in front of him, so she picked up the book she had between her crossed legs. The chapter that featured their reunion had always been her favorite, though the second to last one was a close second. The latter held such an unexpected cliffhanger and the one year wait for the next book to be released had been a living hell… just like the adventure of the couple.

_Percy smiled at her—that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that had annoyed her for years but eventually had become endearing. His sea-green eyes were as gorgeous as she remembered. His dark hair was swept to one side as he'd just come from a walk on the beach. He looked even better than he had six months ago—tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular._

_Annabeth was too stunned to move. She felt that if she got any closer to him, all the molecules in her body might combust. She'd secretly had a crush on him since they were twelve years old. Last summer, she'd fallen for him hard. They'd been a happy couple for four months—and then he'd disappeared._

_During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth's feelings. They'd grown painfully intense—like she'd been forced to withdraw from a lifesaving medication. Now she wasn't sure which was more excruciating—living with that horrible absence, or being with him again._

_Annabeth didn't mean to, but she surged forward. Percy rushed toward her at the same time._

_He threw his arms around her. They kissed, and for a moment nothing else mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn't have cared._

_Percy smelled of ocean air. His lips were salty._

Seaweed Brain _, she thought giddily. Percy pulled away and studied her face. "Gods, I never thought—"_

_Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the stone pavement. Then, she put her knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat. She didn't care what the others thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest—a tumor of worry and bitterness that she'd been carrying around since last autumn._

" _If you ever leave me again," she said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods—"_

_Percy had the nerve to laugh. Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth._

" _Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too." Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet. She wanted to kiss him again so badly, but she managed to restrain herself…_

Sarada became unaware of her surroundings pretty quick. Getting lost in the lines and pages up until her door flew open and her blond boyfriend came in, gritting his teeth in cold air with each step. The fool had not even dried his hair properly.

Sarada shook her head at him and put the book down, feeling glad for the composed look she was able to express. Boruto wasn't technically a fool per se. He – of all people – would've been able to understand that it had been fake.

"Sorry," the blond began. "Was I too late?"

"No, don't worry. Your dad kept me company." Sarada said, extending her arms to pull him in a hug that obviously was returned. "But I missed you," she murmured. "You and your strawberry scent." She added, making the both of them chuckle.

"Thanks. I had to borrow Hima's shampoo."

Sarada laughed and made space on her bed for him. He went under the covers with her, putting his arm around her shoulders in another hug.

Sarada put her head on his chest and listened to his chilling heartbeat, silently wishing to be able to hum a melody of it. They spent minutes like that, in silence, in darkness, until Sarada was convinced of her boyfriend's calm beating and pushed herself off of him and walked close to the drawer near the windows.

She opened it and took out a little fur orange fox toy with nine tails, and gripped her fists tightly along it. She should've known that she was being teased.

The toy got snatched from her fingers and put back in the drawer, its door slamming loudly.

Boruto sat on the bed again and drew his hand along his blond hair, grunting loudly.

"You know that anything of fur material is bad for your health… right?" he began quietly. "Sarada, I understand just how much you're attached to Kurama but…" Boruto halted, not being able to bring himself to continue… not after…

Sarada's eyes perked up when he called it by its true name. He had always loved to tease her about its name, always calling it Kyubi or Kitsune… calling it Kurama, meant that he was dead serious.

She went to sit by his side again and looked down. "I…" she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry for making you worry," she began, glad that he did not interrupt her. "I promised that I would get rid of it and yet it's still here. I just haven't been able to… to give it my final farewell."

Boruto was glad for the dark. He, in no way, would've wanted for her to see his glassy and tear-filled eyes, his clenched jaw and the swallows of his throat. Sarada must've been thinking about today's events and it was his fault for acting rashly. "I overreacted… sorry about that. I understand that you need your time, it's just… let us rest again." He said. "Get some sleep together."

Sarada hummed in confirmation. "I'll try to dream of you." She said, yawning sweetly. "Will you do the same?"

Boruto chuckled as both he and Sarada returned to their previous position in the bed. "Nah, I don't need to do that." He kissed the top of her red shawl and murmured a few lines that sent Sarada into a blushing mess. "You're my reality."

* * *

_~two hours prior~_

"Where were you?" Naruto asked Sakura as he took drinks for both of them from the vending machine. "Here, let's calm down." He offered one to her and sat by her right side.

"I went to see someone." She replied.

"Who?" he began. "You look pretty nervous, that's why I'm asking." He said. "Don't look like that when you go up to see Sarada, okay."

"I'm trying my best, Naruto."

Naruto sighed. "You know that even if Sarada doesn't let it on, she is suffering a lot. You know the kid that Ino was taking care of?"

"Sekki?" Sakura questioned. "What of him?"

"He died." Sakura gasped at the new information. The boy who once had curly hair and a lively spirit now had taken all of it to his grave… "This morning. And Sarada saw it happen." He said, making Sakura grip hard on her soda can. "She was there when his mother cried over him. Sarada is already enduring because of us, and even Boruto. Her hope has still not faded away."

Sakura smiled faintly. She was sad about the child indeed but… what was there for her to feel? What was there for her to do? What if Sasuke doesn't show up?  _She hadn't even told him when would be the best time to come and do the test._  And… even if he showed up… would he be compatible?

"I don't know why but I have the feeling that a donor will show up very soon." Naruto said with a bright face. "I really do." He took her in a hug. "So don't worry sis."

"Don't call me that." She kicked him in the chest but didn't move away from her position. Not when her nerves were dancing wildly. "I heard that Boruto isn't doing well in school." She looked up at him.

"You heard right! That boy has been using every way possible to make it sure he fails this year." He shook his head. "He's made it clear to me that he doesn't have any plans to move forward if she doesn't too." he shrugged. "I don't plan on stopping him either."

Sakura raised her head and shook it slowly. "My daughter is so lucky to have him in her life."

"Hell no," Naruto crooked. "The one who's lucky is my foolish son to have such a girl even look at his stupid ass."

Sakura laughed. Despite it all, she was still able to laugh. She was hanging off a tiny leash and yet she was laughing. Sakura hoped that whatever Deity was up there wouldn't punish her for it.

"Well, I have to go now," Naruto informed her after both of them calmed down. He rose up from his chair and shook the – invisible – dust off his pants.

"Aren't you going to stay for when Boruto comes? You're barely seeing each other now that he's always sleeping here."

"Well, work needs me just as much as Boruto needs Sarada, so I'm off."

"But it's late."

"Yeah, it's my shift tonight." He said. "What about you? Are you going home to change?"

Sakura hummed in confirmation. "Yeah, and don't worry about Hima," she said before Naruto had a chance to interrupt her. "I'll make some food ready for her too."

"What would I do without you? Come on then, I'll drive you home."

"My car is there–"

"I won't accept any objections. This way I can make some change of clothes too."

"And how will I come back here?"

Naruto's mouth opened but no words came out. The fool hadn't thought of that, Sakura was sure. "I have time," he said. "I'll drive you back."

Sakura shook her head. "You're an idiot."

Naruto grinned. "Thank God I have a big sister to take care of me then."

Sakura snorted as she rose off the chair and together, the two made their way toward the exit. "You must mean thank God you have a sister like me who can put up with your near-forty years-old antics instead of mom Kushina, right?"

"No one comes close to you when it comes to brains – Oh, Boruto? You've arrived?" Naruto asked his look-alike of a son.

Boruto came close to them and gave Sakura a quick kiss on the cheek while rolling his eyes at his father. "What is this old man doing again, aunt Sakura? Just punch his lights out already."

"A lovely suggestion, really. But I'm afraid it'll make him even more stupid than he already is."

"But how can that be possible?" Boruto joked, winking at the pink-haired woman. "Does science approve of this?"

"That's enough out of your mouth, young man. Go to your girlfriend." Naruto cut him off after having decided that enough was enough.

"I don't need you telling me that," Boruto said in a more serious tone. "I'm already here, aren't I?"

"Well, go then." His father rushed him away.

As Boruto started walking past them, he felt Sakura's hands tugging on his shirt and he turned to look at her.

"You remember the guy with the purple eyes that were staying in the hospital room in front of Sarada's?"

Boruto frowned. "You mean Sekki? Why do you ask?" he rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me he's challenged Sarada for a run again, even after I told him not to because I swear to God that–"

"He's dead."

There was a feeling of emptiness that overcame Boruto's lungs at the news. It felt like a tornado had swept through the sliding doors and was rushing toward him.

The guy was dead…

_Dead! Gone! Dead!_

"Boruto!" came Naruto's voice that jolted him off his dark thoughts. "Sakura told you this so you can understand if Sarada expresses an off behavior. Don't make it appear like you know, alright? But if she tells you, then it would mean that she's already made her peace with it."

Boruto swallowed and nodded slowly and without even saying his good-byes, he walked toward the elevators and got in, pushing the button to Sarada's floor. It was a nice thing, he thought, that the elevator would have to pass a lot of floors up until it reached hers because he was already in a shaking mess.

A shaking mess that he would have to stop before it explodes in front of Sarada. She didn't need him like this. And he definitely wasn't looking forward to becoming unworthy of her.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to wear his newest suit as he headed out for the Konoha Hospital.

It felt inappropriate for him.

Hence he wore his usual clothes, the nice and clean ones. It wasn't as if he was going to change his mind, but, the moment he reached the doors… he halted. He felt insecure… however an asshole-ish trait of him that was.

His cell rang and Sasuke glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number and Sasuke frowned.

"Hello!" he said hesitantly.

" _Are you coming?"_  said the voice from the other end.

"Who is…? Sakura…?"

" _Forget that I asked–"_

"No, no. Wait. I'm already heading out." He lied. "I'm… I'm tying my shoes and–" Sasuke saw a flash of pink hair from the doors' reflection and turned his head. Sakura blinked at him. "Uh…" she stopped the call.

"You're already here." She said.

"Well… I didn't ask you when was the right time, so…"

"Let's go up, then."

Sasuke followed after her as she met up with a blonde woman, whose name was apparently Ino, and told him to go and give one sample of his blood. After it was all done the first thing Sakura told him to do was to leave, which obviously raised an eyebrow out of the dark-haired man.

"That's it?" he questioned.

"Mr. Sasuke, we will need to check histocompatibility antigens in your blood first," Ino spoke.

Sasuke nodded. "If I'm eligible to do that, how does a bone-marrow transplant surgery work?"

"It's not that simple." Ino began, fully aware that it should've been her friend the one to tell him those things, but fully aware of what had transpired between the two in the past as well. "Even if you're a… biological parent," she glanced at her briefly. "the match probability for bone-marrow is lower than siblings."

"Even if…?" Sasuke raised his brows. "How… how bad is she?" he asked his child's mother this time.

"Just leave." was the only response he got.

"Yeah… okay. When will it come out… the result I mean?"

Sakura raised her head and sighed. "If you're eligible for this, I'll contact you. If I don't, just think that you can't be the donor." She said flatly and left, with the blonde woman on her tail.

 _She's become quite spiteful._  Sasuke thought, though not having the guts to blame her for that. It'd been his fault… all of it.

He knew what he was going to do was wrong… really wrong, but his legs were having a mind of their own, so they dragged him toward the elevator. Even, his fingers, somehow, knew very well which buttons to push.

The moment he exited the elevator doors, the illusion wore off of him and he was sweating like a rabbit in front of its predator. Why had he come here? Where even was  _here_?

He started walking slowly, not knowing where the final destination was. Doors opened and closed, people walked past him. Anyone had their own jobs and no one gave him a second look…

No one but a girl with a red shawl on her head… a girl with the darkest and shiniest eyes he'd ever seen. A girl that held a diamond birthmark on her forehead just like Sakura did… wait… a diamond?

Understanding flashed through them both, as the girl opened her mouth and a word was breathed out.

Sasuke's whole body shook. The girl…  _Sarada_ took a fur toy out of her pocket in her pants. His first thought was to go to her and snatch it off, his second thought was that this girl was his own daughter, a daughter that he had no rights to see.

And yet… he was in front of her.

The girl did not call him  _father_  anymore. Thank God she didn't.

"My mom and my friends have been pressuring me to get rid of this plush," she began, caressing the nine tails of the orange fox-toy. "I haven't been able to do it." She extended the toy for him to take, and he, with shaking hands, clutched it the moment the toy fell on his fingers.

"Give it back to me, when all of this is over." She said and smiled warmly. Sasuke didn't say anything for the whole thing, he only nodded and swallowed hard.

Sarada turned toward her room, when Boruto exited from the door, with her coat in his hands.

"Boruto, let's just sit by the windows, okay?" the addressed blond blinked at her. "Oh, sure. Come on then."

They entered inside and Boruto left her side to go and set two chairs by the sun-filled windows. Sarada just had the gall to believe that she would have to change rooms soon. They joined their heads together and Sarada looked down, her father's walking figure filled her with happiness and hope.

She  _knew_ that she was going to live. He was going to give her a second life.


	3. Dimly Lit Pathway

“As I told you,” a woman’s voice said, looking out of the windows of her office. Tokyo’s traffic stretched far ahead. Each person, busy or jobless living their own lives… some of them living behind the bars that she would make sure to make their future homes if proven guilty. All but _those two._ “Be careful where you put that camera, okay? Those two are no joke, Tenten.”

 _“I don’t need you telling me that, Hinata. I want that piece of garbage behind bars just as much as you do.”_ Tenten said from the other end, proceeding to click her tongue repeatedly. _“I’m already doing that. And stop being such a worrywart, all right?”_

Hinata giggled. “Oh, sorry,” she said. “But Neji’s arrogance-filled blood doesn’t do its job right with me.”

The woman on the other end laughed as well. _“I know right. That’s why you’re the leader of the team and not him.”_

“The biggest mistake you’ve all done, in all honesty.”

 _“Are you sure that they’ll meet soon?”_ came Tenten’s voice filled with a hint of seriousness.

“Positive,” Hinata reassured her. “They’ll have no choice but to discuss the goo–”

“You’re going to be late!”

Hinata closed her eyes when she heard Neji’s stern voice scold her yet again. That damn brother of hers was like a nagging shadow.

 _“Is that Neji?”_ Tenten asked. _“He still has his old habits, doesn’t he?”_

“Yup,” Hinata giggled. “But, I’ve got to go now, or else New York isn’t going to wait for me. Be careful and no hard feelings.”

Neji rolled his eyes, probably having anticipated Hinata’s lines, while Tenten snorted. _”Please, I was only thirteen. I’m gonna hang up now, got a job to do.”_

The beep signal was heard next before Hinata stuffed her cell in her back pocket and took out a hair-lace instead. Tying up her long navy blue hair, while Neji’s foot was constantly rocking the floor, she threw a glance over to Karui. “Link over only information that might be useful, or if it comes out of Tenten’s mouth, whatever that is, all right.”

The dark-skinned woman nodded her head, as her golden gaze followed the two Hyuga cousins out of the office.

It was easy to tell that Neji was angry if his scowl-filled face was anything to go by at least. Sure, the long-haired man cared more than he should, and sure, Hinata understood fully where his attitude was coming from, it still felt controlling. But he was still her right hand, her most valuable, her partner in everything.

“Spit it out,” she said.

“I know that you’re not going to New York for fun, but try to relax a bit,” Neji said, looking straight ahead. “The world won’t end if you put your mission on hold for just a few days.”

“Every second that I miss is important, big brother,” she said, slightly annoyed with the tik-tok noise her boots made.

Neji grunted. “Why didn’t you want me to accompany you?”

“Because Asuma gave this job to me only.” Hinata slid her arms in his. “Besides, you offered to drive me over to the airport. That’s enough.”

“I’m pretty sure that he said that you begged him to let you go to that conference.”

“Hmph!” Hinata puffed her cheeks, a cute pout adorning her face. “He said that, didn’t he?”

Neji sighed as he opened the door for Hinata to sit in the passenger seat. Once he started the car he answered. “Seriously, Hinata. I do my best to care for you. I’ve always done so.”

“I know,” she said as Neji started driving the car. Hinata turned her gaze toward the window glass for a moment, already feeling bored with the bothersome traffic in Tokyo. It took them a good portion of time-loss before Neji was able to speed up. “You know,” she began. “You also have Ino and Inojin to think about. Just because Hanabi got settled down, or because you’re my partner… don’t forget about your family, Neji.”

“I don’t,” he said. “I just–”

“And, we’re here,” Hinata exclaimed the moment the airport came into view. It just so happened that it was the perfect time for interrupting him too.

“Be careful!” Neji called, as Hinata took her bag from the backseat.

“ _Hai, hai, okasan._ ”

Once everything was ready and she got her phone back, she saw that she’d received a message from Tenten.

 _‘I saw them meet at the house. Damn, I should give myself an Oscar for actually managing to contain myself from shooting a bullet in their foreheads. On a different note, the video function is so damn good_ _J_ _. Expect things to go down this time.’_

Hinata giggled, as she put the security belt around her waist before the plane began to ascend in the morning sky. She didn’t know if she should pray that things would go down this time, maybe for the better… or maybe for the worst.

But she had years of preparing, years of dreaming to see them behind bars and there had never been a valid weapon in her hands. They always managed to slip away from her and the hunter would always end up becoming the hunted.

Hunted!

That wasn’t even cutting it. She had nightmares every night. The things she’d lost over the years. The life she wasn’t able to live. Those two had indebted her, and she wouldn’t stop till being repaid.

Hence why she was going on this trip.

_“The conference is for the children in need. An education center for disabled children in New York… and his fake name is Shizuma. It just happened that he has a striking resemblance to Chojuro Terumi” Asuma smirked. “I’m 100% sure that it’s him. It’s her son.”_

She sure as hell wasn’t going there to turn in Tokyo empty-handed, nor was she going to relax. She would have enough time to do so after she reclaimed her debt. But for now, for that moment alone, Hinata smiled softly at the clear ocean below.

* * *

 Sasuke took the bus home. He was sat at the far end, clutching the orange toy with his hands as his eyes roamed over the streets of Tokyo. A man was holding his little child on his neck as the kid laughed, then a few meters away another man was holding his son, Sasuke presumed, just as the little child had had a little accident with his bike.

Sasuke would turn his head to look behind him, the scenery wounding his heart like knives.

_“Father!”_

That word still rang in his ears. Sasuke was sure he’d heard it, though he wasn’t sure just how much this new information clanged into him. He kept clutching on the little toy even when entering his house and drinking himself to death.

He knew that what he was thinking was straight-up bullshit, but he couldn’t stop his mind from flowing everywhere. He thought that maybe the girl had called him father on instinct, maybe because she was raised without a father… well, Sasuke hadn’t known he had a child for seventeen years, and when he finally did, Sakura had told him that she thought him dead.

“I have a child now, huh?” he said to himself while drinking a shot of some cheap beer. “And she just so happens to be sick.” He clicked his tongue repeatedly. “I’m so… so… unlucky… how can this happen to me?”

His chuckle turned into a sob the moment it began as Sasuke drank yet another shot. “She was so pretty,” he said with a low voice just as Yahiko slipped through the door. Sasuke had enough time to wipe his tears with his sleeve before the orange-haired guy reached him.

“You’re drinking in the daytime now? Did something happen?”

Sasuke shook his head, while still leaving his back to face him.

“By the way,” Yahiko said, always being quick to change topics. “I’m planning to buy a digital camera. I have a date with Konan this weekend.” He took a shot of his own. “Though I’m feeling as if I’m just wasting money to buy one you know what I mean. Ugh, what the hell is this shit?” he grunted at the weird taste of the beer. “Anyway, I knew I shouldn’t have bought that Samsung phone back then. Their cameras suck big time.”

“Yahiko,” Sasuke called out of the blue.

“What is it?” he asked. “In case you wanted to tell me, yes, I did notice that you’re lying down _not_ wearing your suit.”

“Why… why is my heart hurting so much?” Sasuke asked him hesitantly, not bringing up his hands to wipe more tears that were falling on his pillow.

“Heart? Do you have heart disease?” Yahiko chuckled. “You’re not serious, right?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said. “Of course I’m not.”

* * *

 Ino smiled even as a frown adorned her face. She’d woken up pretty early today, though not being able to sleep. She’d stuck a note on their fridge, informing Inojin to warm his food. She’d also prepared a light breakfast for both her and Neji to eat before they both had to go to their respective jobs.

Though her husband liked to be pretty discrete when it came to his. She didn’t mind though. A job was a job… a secret was a secret.

It didn’t stop her from asking about what his plans were nonetheless.

_“Not much. I’ll be cooped up in the office since Hinata will be out of the country for the weekend.”_

Hinata was his little sister. Well, not a sister, but his cousin whom Neji loved and cared for as if she were his sister. She was, shortly said, lovely. In fact, after Sakura, Hinata was her closest friend. Though, she was one of the most reserved people Ino had ever met. You would never be able to get an invitation to her apartment for example.

Neji had made sure to drive her to the hospital first before going to his work. They’d shared a small peck on the lips as Ino was preparing to get out of the car.

Now she was trembling. She was as excited and nervous as Sakura would probably be.

She was holding a very important envelope on her hands. The results of Mr. Uchiha’s. She wondered why hadn’t Sakura been the one to take them before her. She’d had her shift last night and she was working today as well, so she should’ve been the first to get the result.

She shook her uniform and straightened up her posture before sliding her office’ door open. How she pitied that woman… against her own will.

There she was, asleep, with her forehead above her desk where some documents had been scattered all around. Her extremely unruly pink hair had revealed her rosy-skinned neck.

Ino walked toward her and shook her gently. Sakura moved, slowly adjusting to the disturbing lighting of her office, covering up a yawn with the back of her hand.

“I didn’t notice when I fell asleep.,” she said.

Ino nodded her head, mentally ordering herself not to begin to pace around and just take a seat. She took a coffee can from her uniform pocket and extended it toward her. “Here, I thought you might need one.”

“Thanks, Ino,” Sakura said while opening the can. Taking a sip, she noticed that her friend was nervous. “Did something happen?” Sakura asked.

“I, uh,” Ino swallowed. “I got the results, but I haven’t opened them yet. That is supposed to be your job.” She slid the envelope over to her friend.

Sakura’s eyes widened at the information, barely containing the urge to choke on her drink. The envelope that controlled her happiness or her biggest misery was right in front of her, crying to reveal its secrets.

Her hands were sweating profusely and her heartbeat was loud when she finally decided to open the little thing and uncover its content.

She couldn’t bear the thought of reading all of it, despite it being the etiquette of every medic of her caliber. She was feeling restless, eagerly wanting to push through to the very end of it where it read: He is eligible.

**He is eligible.**

Tears graced her beautiful emerald eyes, as she brought up one hand to cover her mouth. Ino had moved to stay by her side and was clutching hard on her shoulder. She said something, but Sakura’s ears weren’t willing to hear anything. She rose off her chair and hugged her blonde friend with every bit of strength she’d cultivated these past few months that she’d been hanging from a weak straw. They cried their eyes out.

That straw had become a strong rope.

**Sasuke was eligible.**

* * *

▬ ■ ■, ■ ▬, ▬ ■, ▬ ▬ ■, ■, ■ ▬  ■.

Tenten read the symbols that to a simple person would’ve looked like some weird gibberish language. To her, however, it meant that she was falling inside a dark abyss.

Her husband, her son, her desire for revenge… all of those were about to vanish, like some treasure that never belonged to her. Tenten’s whole being trembled in fear and rage.

_DANGER_

She knew that the house that snake had bought for them was under vigilance. If only she’d known it before. Well, she had no time to waste now.

She dialed Hinata immediately, only to have the call forwarded. She dialed Karui next and when the woman answered the phone, the only message Tenten left was a short one. _“Tell Hinata I miss her.”_ It was a special code between the two of them. Only she would know, only she would be able to carry what she was going to leave in half.

She walked the streets of Tokyo in one breath. She’d have to lay low for a while. Maybe she’d call Gaara after she would finish this little job of hers.

But her mind was racing against time. She only hoped that the camera would be safe at least.

She reached the shop where Uchiha worked and slipped inside. He was there, talking on his phone, looking as if in a hurry. He’d have no time for her that was for sure, but… it wasn’t as if Tenten had time either. She’d need to squeeze the life out of it.

“I need you to keep this for me,” she said.

“I’m busy.” The Uchiha made an effort to dismiss her.

“Well, you have to keep this, now.”

“Stop joking and leave al–”

“Please.” Tenten pleaded, sliding the camera inside.

He sighed frustratingly and put his cell down. “Fine, take this check.” he told her, sliding a white paper that had the numbers ‘5000000 **¥** ’ written and a stamp signifying its value. Sasuke saw the woman rush out of the shop and grunted again. Now, the only thing he had was a digital camera and… the information of him being able to save his daughter’s life.

His inner self was dancing from happiness. He’d been restless all morning, his fingers itching to dial the hospital number over and over and yet every time he wanted to push the call button, they would freeze.

He’d called her minutes before the brunette came into the shop and Sakura had asked him to come over to the hospital since the results showed him to be eligible as a donor. Of course, he would go, as soon as he would take a shower and have decent clothes on his body that is.

Not knowing where to put the bothersome camera, Sasuke slid it in the huge pockets of his pants and took his jacket. The weather was chill in this March morning.

He hurried back home and didn’t even bother to greet Yahiko who was packing for his date with Konan on the mountains. He got rid of his pants and sweater and saw himself in the shower. He heard Yahiko yelling something about the digital camera he’d brought along and Sasuke yelled back with affirmation.

He really couldn’t care less about shit like that in the slightest. He had somewhere else to be.

He didn’t even need to knock on Sakura’s office for the door to fly open and a smiling Sakura hugged him, so much so that it hurt his neck.

The blonde woman – whose name was Ino, Sasuke recalled – cleared her throat and Sakura moved away from him, sitting on her chair and motioning for him to sit across from her.

“So, I can donate my bone marrow?” Sasuke asked the moment he made himself comfortable.

“According to this,” Sakura slid the results over to his side. “you can.”

“Truth be told,” Ino cut in. “Sarada is pretty lucky. Thank God you found him in time, Sakura.”

Sakura nodded her head. “I can’t wait to tell her.”

She noticed Sasuke’s gaze piercing through her. “Was she that bad?” he asked.

Sakura’s breath halted for a few seconds. She was contemplating whether to tell him the truth or not at first. but maybe him knowing would make him not take the situation lightly. Besides… Ino was no stranger to her story either. “Well,” she began. “if it wasn’t for you, it was pretty hopeless.”

“When’s the surgery then?” Sasuke asked. “I mean I can do it today even.”

“Your readiness is remarkable Mr. Sasuke, but Sarada would need to have a preparatory period at first,” Ino told him before heading out. “Anyhow, I’m busy now, billboard brow. See you soon.”

“Ugh, pig. Just leave already.” Both women giggled at each other’s childish antics.

“Uhm,” Sasuke cleared his throat. “For how long?”

Sakura let out a loud breath. “She has to undergo an examination and other procedures as well. So… 27th of this month would be okay.” Sakura said.

“March 27th huh? It’s perfect,” he exclaimed. “One day before your birthday,” he added and Sakura’s eyes widened. She glanced at her calendar block on her desk and saw a red circle over the date of the 31st. Sarada’s birthday… she’d forgotten hers to be completely honest. “Yeah, maybe I’ll have a nice birthday present this year.”

“What about me?” he asked. “I mean, what should I do until then?”

“You should make sure you don’t get any wound infections.”

“Just that?” he inquired. “Then sure, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sakura nodded her head but didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say next hence why an awkward silence befell them. “I’ll… I’ll call you before the date of the surgery.”

Sasuke looked at her and shook his head slightly. “No need for that. I don’t deny that I’m an asshole but I’ll remember Sarada’s surgery. Don’t worry.”

Sakura averted her gaze slightly. “Take care of yourself,” she said. “Until the date of the surgery,” she added in an effort not to get misunderstood by him. She didn’t want Sasuke to think that she cared for him… _still._

“Don’t worry about that either,” Sasuke said, a small smile creeping up his lips. “I’m gonna go now,” he said and rose up from his chair.

Sakura rose as well or made an effort to rise since Sasuke stopped her with a sign of his hand. “I know my way, don’t worry. I’ll see myself out.”

Sakura didn’t press the matter any longer and glanced over to her calendar one more time, a wide smile adorning her face. Yes, she would receive the best birthday gift this year, she was sure of it. Walking over to her windows, she noticed Sasuke playing with an orange toy that looked familiar to her and Sakura gasped. It was Kurama, Sarada’s first plush toy given to her by Naruto on her tenth birthday.

She wondered on how had the little toy come into Sasuke’s possession? Had he… had he seen Sarada already? Sakura wondered as she witnessed him sliding the toy back in the pocket of his jacket before taking his phone out and closing it to his ear. He was receiving a call, Sakura concluded. She closed the view of her windows.

* * *

 “You are an idiot, you know that, right?”

“I’ve told you countless times already. I am an idiot, but you’re stuck with me, because without you I’m like a fish out of water, so deal with it.”

“You know what else looks like a fish out of water? An idiot who refuses to get a proper education. Seriously, Boruto. What the fuck?”

“Hey, language,” Boruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at his girlfriend’s direction. “We’re in a hospital room.”

Sarada rolled her eyes. “Can you not try so pathetically to change the subject?”

Boruto sighed. “Why does it matter if I fail this year? I want to graduate with you, is it so bad?”

“Yes,” Sarada answered bluntly. “Boruto, I know that you have hopes of me surviving, and I wish with all my heart to survive too, but I still have no donor…” she heard him swallow. “And a donor is exactly what I need to live.”

Boruto glared down, rubbing his nails on his pants. “I’m not going to school this Monday, and that’s final.” He said, raising his head. “Please don’t make me push my point even further. Not only that, but you alone haven’t told me that you don’t want me to stay here instead, so I don’t see what the big idea is.”

“I need you,” she said. “Not gonna lie to you, I need you. I just don’t want to ru–”

“Don’t you dare finish that.” Boruto sighed, rising off the couch and walking to sit on the edge of her bed. He took her hand in his and sighed. He had to think of something that would cheer her up. Maybe he could even make some compromise with her. “Damn you woman,” he puffed his cheeks cutely, making Sarada giggle. “Yeah, whatever, I’ll go to school… twice a week,” he said before Sarada had any chance to brighten up her visage.

Instead, she rolled her eyes. “That’s no good either, banana head.” She smacked him lightly on his arm.

“Hey,” Boruto rubbed the place. “For your information, I’m not an idiot even if I look like one and you know it just as well as I do how quick I can adapt. Besides, this way I guess I will not enter our school’s bingo book.”

Sarada chuckled and shook her head, condemning herself to handle her blond idiot. “I am glad that you want us to graduate together actually,” she confessed finally. “And I’m sorry, for mentioning my situation.”

Boruto brought up his knuckles and hit her forehead lightly, even if he knew that it irritated her. “If you don’t want to apologize then maybe you shouldn’t say it in the first place. You’re doing no good to either of us.”

“Will you forgive me?” Sarada looked at him with those shiny black puppy eyes, her lips pursed together like some Geisha.

“As if I could say ‘No’ when you give me that Holy Look.” He said and they both laughed, Boruto falling on the bed atop of her legs. It was in that position when Sakura walked in with raised eyebrows and widened eyes that Boruto saw his life flash before his eyes. He barely contained his urge of choking right there before getting up and scratching behind his neck.

“Auntie, I swear it isn’t as bad as it looked,” he told her.

Sakura gave him an amused look. “Oh, believe me, Boruto, it looked anything but bad, so don’t you worry,” she said, and Boruto sighed in relief. Sarada clicked her tongue at his reactions before looking toward her mother.

“Are you here for my checkups?”

“No,” Sakura said, making her way toward her. “I’m here to tell you that by your 18th birthday, Boruto.” she gave him a side glance. “Sarada will have her surgery done.” She gave her daughter the widest and warmest smile she’d ever had. “We found the right donor for you.”

Boruto’s mouth hung open, while Sarada stared at her unblinking. She clutched on her necklace instinctively with her right hand while her left one was squeezing Boruto’s with all her strength.

“So both of you enjoy some free time while you can, because once your surgery is done and– Sara…da” she stopped when she noticed her daughter’s beautiful eyes watering and a tear slipping from them. Boruto embraced her in a bone-crushing hug and smiled at Sakura with tearful eyes as well.

Sarada still wasn’t moving at all. She was aware of her surroundings, like her mother’s worried look, or her boyfriend’s hug and her tears, but her stance was unwilling to be broken. “I,” Sarada began, almost bloodying her hand from clutching on her fan-necklace too hard. “I would wonder how heaven looks like sometimes. I’d heard it is a nice place.” She willed another tear to adorn her cheeks. “I’d heard that but… I still was afraid to go there on my own.”

“Sarada,” Boruto whispered her name.

“I had acted strong for so long, but I’ve been scared all this time. I–”

“I’m so sorry,” Sakura said and took her in a hug after Boruto had released her. “My baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry it got so late. I’m so very sorry.”

Boruto understood that they needed a moment of their own, hence why he got out of the room, dialing his dad’s number next. The phone rang for about three times before it was picked up by him. _“What is it?”_ Naruto asked, yawning across.

If it was any other situation, Boruto would have rolled his eyes, but he was too happy to deal with shit like that in such a time of joy. “Dad, there’s a donor for Sarada.”

 _“And? Why would you ca – WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”_ he shouted and Boruto chuckled. “Yeah, Aunt Sakura came in and told us that she’ll get her surgery done by the 27th of this month.”

 _“Oh shit,”_ Naruto exclaimed, his happiness coming through the phone _. “I’m coming over now, so just end the call, okay? OY HIMA WAKE UP WE GOTTA–”_

“See you then,” Boruto said, aware of the fact that it probably didn’t go through his dad and ended the call. His days… No, _their days_ of happiness were only beginning.

* * *

 “Why would that person need a watch from our storage again?” Sasuke asked Kidomaru when he arrived at the shop. “I hope you have a good explanation as to why I spent almost an hour looking around for this.”

“Because she wanted to buy an expensive one.” It was Sakon the one who answered him. “Here’s her address. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

Sasuke felt his left brow twitch. “What is that supposed to mean? Who even is she?”

“Oh, you know, Denny.”

“Who?”

It was Sakon’s turn to roll his eyes as he flipped another page from his newspaper. “The brunette, you know the one with the double buns, that comes here often.”

“That’s why we’re telling you to go,” Kidomaru said. “In my honest opinion, that woman has the hots for you, if you know what I mean.”

“You idiot, that’s gross.” Sasuke reached over and smacked him across his head. That woman was married for fuck’s sake… wasn’t she? She’d told him that she was the other day.

“So you won’t go?” Sakon asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sasuke sighed. “Fine, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll go. Tch.” He said and walked out, failing to notice the look both men gave to each other.

Her house – if he was being honest – was pretty cute, if its boysenberry color was anything to go by at least. He got ready to knock when he saw that the door was open and entered inside. Once in the entryway, Sasuke couldn’t help but chill over the deep silence this place had. Like a mourning one. “Is anyone here?” he called and walked with slower steps than usual. “Miss?” he called again.

Pain on his neck was the only thing he felt before he fell on the cold floor.

…

Sasuke grunted in pain as his dark eyes opened, slowly and hardly trying to adjust to the room’s brightness.

The last thing he remembered was that he’d entered the brunette’s house and now his head was hurting. Maybe he’d been hit with something, but one thing that he knew for sure, was that he wasn’t tied up. He sat up from the floor and brought up his right hand to hold his head up when he saw it. His hand was soaked in red.

He looked down. His throat, his shirt, the floor… and the brunette woman was lying down, eyes opened and unfocused _._

Sasuke gasped, having been startled at first, only to feel his other hand clutching on something wet and cold. He looked down again and his eyes widened at the sight. He had been clutching on a blood-stained knife.

The woman was dead, Sasuke came into a painful conclusion. But he hadn’t killed her… right?

No, he couldn’t have. Someone had knocked him out, hadn’t it?

It wasn’t him. Sasuke’s whole body and soul trembled, so much so that he could swear he was feeling his teeth make clicking noises of panic.

“It’s not me!” Sasuke exclaimed in a low tone while shaking his head desperately. “I didn’t do it. It’s not me.”

He murmured repeatedly in front of the dead woman’s blood-bathed body as he tossed the bloody knife away.

He had used his bare hands to do it… the fool.

His thoughts raced wildly as he processed what had happened to him. He’d been summoned to her house, to their trap. He had been in the wrong place in the wrongest of times he could ever be.

The woman – he couldn’t even remember her name – was on the floor, her brown eyes were facing at his direction – but not at him, he knew that much. She was dead, how could she face him? Her usual Chinese double buns styled brown hair now were down – it would’ve probably reached her mid-waist if Sasuke had ever seen her like that.

He never did.

Not for a single minute, not for a single time had he given a second glance toward her whenever she came to the shop and now, he was going to pay for it.

Why now?

Why him?

Most importantly… Why him _again_?

Normally, _he_ would always tell him beforehand. Why hadn’t there been any wa–

Sasuke was cut short of his inner storm when the door was flung open and the policemen barged inside with their guns pointed at him.


	4. In Black and White

Sarada had been in a daze ever since the news that she can live reached her ears and she processed it all carefully. Being babied by her loved ones didn’t make the matters easier either. Boruto was still hugging her from behind… crushing her more like.

But she was happy. All of them were happy.

Boruto had told her how uncle Naruto had reacted when he’d told him the news and Sarada had laughed out loud. Her handsome boyfriend had chatted with their friends too and Sarada wasn’t sure if she was expecting them all to come, but even if they didn’t, she still knew that they carried her best interest in their hearts.

“Boruto, leave your girlfriend for us a bit too. We aren’t going to subdue her, brother.” Himawari said, from a nearby chair.

“I don’t wanna.” Boruto pouted sweetly after throwing a kiss on her temple. “If it were for what I wanted, I would throw all of you out.”

“You are the one who’s going to get thrown out if you don’t behave, young lad.” His father said.

“There’s no power in this world that will make me leave Sarada’s side.”

Sarada pinched his hand lightly, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Don’t be so cheesy, you idiot.”

Her mother chuckled. She didn’t know where she found the strength not to tear up again and again. She’d been so thankful to Boruto when he left them to have a moment of their own. It’d been so much easier to cry their eyes out, just the two of them. “It’s only cheesy if he’s lying. And I doubt he is.” She gave him a wink that was much appreciated by the young blond.

“Oh, so you’re taking his side now?” Naruto said. “I can’t believe you, Sakura.”

“I didn’t know you like cheesy stuff, mom,” Sarada smirked and gave off a playful sigh. “I’m thankful that God decided not to take me away from you all – oww.”

“You little brat,” Sakura said while reaching out to poke her forehead. Except for Sarada who was busy rubbing the place her mother had poked earlier, everybody else broke into a laugh.

“You’re so cute,” Boruto whispered to her ear, his breath making her blood jump up to her cheeks again.

“By the way, auntie,” Himawari said after she found her breath. “Who’s the donor?”

Sakura looked to the side, thinking about a lie to say. Doing her best to avoid Naruto’s gaze as well as the others’, she said. “I am not supposed to give this information, sweetie.” She cleared her throat. “And… the person in question wants to stay anonymous.”

“Whatever.” Sarada chimed in. “He’s going to save my life, that’s what matters, right?”

“Of course,” Naruto said. “Also, if you say it one more time it’ll be the 100th time you said it.”

“I would like to hear that a thousand times more, though,” Boruto said, throwing a playful glare to his father. “And if it annoys you, old man, that would be even better.”

“Tch.”

“Shut up, Boruto,” Himawari said. “I can’t wait to share ice cream with you again, Sar.”

“Also ramen,” Naruto added.

“Cotton candy too,” Sakura said with a perfect smile.

“The yakisoba buns are on me,” Boruto said and Sarada laughed again. What could go wrong in her life now?

“What’s next?” she said. “I’m gonna be the next Usain Bolt? I’m gonna be a writer like J. K. Rowling? Hmm?”

“Oh, speaking of that,” Himawari said while rummaging through her blue and yellow back-bag. She took out two notebooks and walked toward her. Setting them down, Sarada saw that Hima had brought here her sketchbook and journal together with two pens. “I thought you might get bored.”

“Himaaa,” Sarada began. “Can we be together in the afterlife? Please say yes.”

“Hey!” Boruto exclaimed as the girls giggled.

“You bet we can,” Hima said.

“These three.” Naruto sighed before his cell phone rang. It was from work and he did not want to pick it up… so he didn’t.

It rang again.

“Naruto, it must be something important,” Sakura said.

“It better be. Hello, officer Uzumaki here… What? But I said I would take some days off after my shift… Isn’t there someone else who can do it?... Murder?... All right, I’m on my way.”

All of them looked at him with worried looks while Naruto put his jacket on. “Dad?” Boruto called.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can, okay.” He went over and pecked Sarada’s head gently, her red shawl material lingering on his palm. “Stay safe.”

“I will.” Sarada giggled.

“I forgot the last time I’ve heard of a murder case from dad,” Boruto said after Naruto left. “I hope everything will be alright and the one who did it suffers.”

“Boruto, I’m sure the person will suffer his punishment. Don’t concern yourself with that.” Sakura said.

They continued their happy chit chat for a long time, unaware of their fate at stake.

* * *

 “Well, one thing is for sure,” Naruto said. “Temari is definitely the man in your relationship.”

“Shut up,” Shikamaru said, trying his best not to puke. “This is such a drag. Why did you drag me with you?”

“Well, for one, I needed my right-hand man with me, and two, you needed to pay for calling me when I was with my family.”

“As if I like being here taking pictures of dead people.”

“Whatever,” Naruto said. “She looks familiar, though.”

“She is.” Temari walked through the door and Naruto smirked. Shikamaru had already straightened his posture. “Her name is Tenten, Tenten Sabaku to be exact. She worked with the prosecutor’s team.”

“Prosecutor’s?” Naruto quirked up a brow. “So she was on a mission?”

The woman nodded her head. “Most likely. We’ll have to ask the one who sent Miss Sabaku on this mission – whatever that mission is – if we want to know the details.”

“Oh man,” Shikamaru sighed. “That is just even more of a drag.”

“Everything is a drag for you, Shikamaru,” Naruto said. “We’ll have to be careful with this one. Not everybody can know what her identity is if she’s really one of us.”

“Heh,” Shikamaru scoffed. “It seems like Miss. Hyuga has some explanations to do.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. This woman had connections with _her_? Did it mean that they’ll have to work together? He gritted his teeth… he didn’t want to.

…Damn it.

“Fuck,” Naruto said, not knowing who was the one he did direct that curse.

“What is it?” Shikamaru asked.

“This woman,” Naruto gestured with his head. “Just how many times did that murderer stab her?”

“That’s the problem.” Temari cut in. “He says he didn’t do it.”

Naruto snorted. “What’s new? They always say that as if someone is going to believe them.”

Temari nodded her head. “Even if so… so much blood is a lot even for us.”

“It’s like tears,” Shikamaru said. “The tears of the victim begging for justice.”

“What’s that brute’s name anyway?” Naruto asked, going over to Shikamaru to check on the pictures he took.

“His name is Sasuke Uchiha and he’s got quite the interesting record,” Temari said. “Like almost eighteen years ago, he went to jail for two years for self-defense murder.”

Naruto hummed under his breath. “He must’ve been young back then. Self-defense you say? Who would possibly want to kill him?”

Shikamaru sighed. “What a drag that guy is. Well, apparently five years after his release, he went to prison again, and this time it was not because of self-defense, but a failed attempt at murder… again.”

Naruto scowled. “Can’t wait to see what he’s like then. But we’ll have to investigate the people he hangs around with too.”

By the time Naruto got to the station, the sun was about to set. Gosh, he was so tired. Never in his life had he spent so much time awake. He was barely containing himself in one piece and if this Uchiha didn’t cooperate, Naruto was afraid he’d explode.

He was about to go through his portfolio when an officer brought the man he was awaiting and forced him to sit in front of him.

They bored their gazes to each other.

“Name?” Naruto asked.

It took several seconds for the man to answer. “Sasuke… Sasuke Uchiha.”

“Age?”

“Thirty-seven.”

So, they were the same age huh?

“ID?”

Naruto typed the numbers on the document at the same speed as Uchiha told them to him.

“What happened to her?” The question stopped Naruto on his tracks, for just a second.

Naruto looked at him. “Occupation?”

Sasuke didn’t answer.

“Occ…upation?” Naruto repeated, his blue gaze turning into a glare.

“Manager… at a pawnshop.” He answered. “But this isn’t right, you know that, idiot.”

“What isn’t right to you, you damned bastard? Care to tell me?”

“I kept asking what happened to her and yet nobody told me anything. Tch, and yet here you are asking me question after question and expecting cooperation out of me.”

Naruto laughed softly. “Then let me ask you just one more thing, hmm. Why did you kill her?”

“I’m telling you the same thing I told the others. I was told to go check up on her so I went there and somebody hit me on the head.” Sasuke said with an irritated tone, even though his whole body was trembling. “I had the knife in my hand when I woke up. That’s the only thing I remember.”

“Of course that’s the only thing you remember.” Naruto cut him off. “How convenient is that?”

“I was told to go to her house to give her an expensive watch from our storage,” Sasuke said. “My coworker told me she’d called.”

“She’d called?”

“Yeah. That’s what I was told.” Sasuke chuckled. “Are you really a detective?”

Naruto quirked up his eyebrows.

“I’m a suspect, aren’t I?” Sasuke went on. “You can’t treat me like I’m a defendant.” Naruto felt a vein popping on his forehead. “I have an alibi as well.”

Naruto nodded his head. “Fine. Tell me who your coworkers are then.”

“Their names are Sakon and Kidomaru. Both of them were there when I was told to go.”

Naruto signaled one of the officers to take the Uchiha on his waiting cell again. He couldn’t do anything in this state any longer. He was about to faint.

Tomorrow, this drama would end.

* * *

 With each word the blond detective was uttering, Sasuke’s eyes were widening and widening. He had hoped, really hoped that he would be wrong and Lord Orochimaru wouldn’t have anything to do with the brunette’s death. That he wasn’t trying to get him to take the blame again.

His hands were covered in sweat as Sasuke kept on fidgeting with his fingers and clenching them, as well as his jaw. How could he live with himself now? How could he live when he didn’t even have a face and voice to say ‘Sorry’ to _her_.

_Sorry for ruining your life._

_Sorry for failing you again and again._

_Sorry… I’m really sorry._

Naruto clicked his tongue. “And that’s how it went,” he said. “Not only do your coworkers deny your claims, but they also have proof of what they say.” He flicked his pen through his fingers before gesturing with the tip to his left.

“See those two over there,” Sasuke glanced to his right. A man with white hair and what looked like shark teeth was drinking coffee with a redheaded woman with glasses and laughing with each other, even though the woman looked annoyed. “They went to the address of your-so-called ‘Storage’ and are you interested to know their discovery?”

Sasuke looked at him through hooded eyes. He bit the side of his lip. “They found out that the place doesn’t have a CCTV camera _and_ it’s totally empty.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “What? How? How can that be? That’s–”

“Yesterday,” Naruto interrupted. “You asked me if I was really a detective, remember?” he leaned to his end of the desk. “Even if I wasn’t, I would still not believe what you’re saying, because a believable face does not prove you innocent.”

“They lied.” Sasuke insisted. “They lied, I didn’t–” he stopped when being faced with the detective’s glare.

“That’s enough. Where were you from morning to 1 PM?”

“Konoha Hospital,” Sasuke answered flatly.

Naruto quirked up an eyebrow. He couldn’t recall running to him in the hospital before, even though he’d had his fair share of spending time in that place. Then again, Naruto didn’t think he would care for a duck’s ass like him.

“But I’m seriously not lying.” The man was saying. “I came to the shop. It’s in that place when they sent me to the storage.”

Naruto grunted loudly. “Do you have a single-digit IQ or do you have some serious loose screws? The storage either has been moved to a different location or does not exist at all. There is absolutely nothing in the address you gave us.” He rested his back on his chair again. “Even people nearby say that the place has been empty for months now, so how about I put you to your cell again and you think with a clear head about what other lies to say, or better yet, you decide to confess and tell me why you did it.”

“But… I even replaced the tape yesterday.” Sasuke shook his head. “How can this be?”

“Actually the tape hadn’t been replaced for weeks, so please stop lying.”

So that was it? That’s how everything was going to end? His punishment was far greater than life in prison. It would be him being the reason why his child now was living with false hope.

Maybe it would’ve been better if Sakura had actually listened to him back then and– He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought.

He raised his cuffed hands and tugged on the bangs of his hair, hard. His lips quivered and his breath halted. His eyes… he made sure to close them from the detective’s view. No way would an idiot like him see him cry. He had to think, he had to use his brain. Why would that disgusting snake send him here without primary notice? And what… what about Sarada’s surgery?

“You look pitiful,” Naruto said. “What is causing this reaction anyway? Finally, the thought of having killed an innocent person got registered through your brain?” Naruto hit his desk with the palm of his hands. “Once the dactyloscopy result comes out, everything will be revealed. So just tell me the truth already.”

“I did not do it,” replied Sasuke, his voice hoarse. “I will never say otherwise.” Naruto noticed his eyes having a tint of red in them. “So you don’t have to bother me any longer, because that’s the only answer you’ll get. I did not kill her.”

“Fine,” Naruto said.

“Oi, Naruto.” Shikamaru walked over. “Enough already. Let us go to eat.” Naruto rose from his chair. “Do you want anything?” Sasuke looked almost shocked at having been asked by that newcomer officer. He shook his head.

“Off to your cell then. He’s done with you.”

“Shika–”

“Hey, Suigetsu,” Shikamaru called. “Take this guy back to his cell.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The white-haired man, whose name was Suigetsu, took hold of Sasuke’s elbow and started walking toward the waiting cell that had been his waiting place ever since yesterday.

If only he’d been only seconds slower, maybe everything would’ve turned out differently.

“Shikamaru, I don’t want to go out. Let’s just get some ramen or whatever.”

“You’re not eating ramen on my watch.”

“Huh? Oh, Sakura, you’re here?” asked Shikamaru, side-smirking at Naruto’s direction. Naruto might have always told him how his wife Temari was the _male of the relationship_ , but Sakura was definitely the _dominant sibling_ of the two as well.

“I brought some food.” she smiled. “I knew you were busy with this case, so I thought we’re going to relax a bit. Boruto is with Sarada and Hima went to school already, so I had Ino cover for me.”

“Uhmm, you did well. This smells so good, Sakura.”

“Congratulations by the way,” Shikamaru said. “I already heard the good news about Sarada. Shikadai is happy too.”

Sakura chuckled, a faint blush adorning her rosy cheeks. “Thank you, Shikamaru. I appreciate it.”

A pair of hard boots clicking on the floor was heard and the trio turned to look toward its direction. Temari was making their way toward them and her expression made Shikamaru think just how scared he was of his wife on a daily basis.

“What happened?” he asked her nonetheless, making his way to her.

“That bastard is absolute trash.” was her only answer. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other.

“What do you mean?” The blond inquired, taking a small bite from his lunchbox.

Temari, for her part, looked baffled, as if she was offended to having been asked that question. “He gambles,” she started. “Goes to night clubs and has more one-night-stands than sock pairs, literally he is a son of a –”

“Miss Temari,” Sakura said. “Please be a little gentler, okay.”

“Humph, only because you’re here.”

Sakura giggled. “Well, I think I’ll go now, or else I won’t hear the end of it from Ino.”

“I’ll see you out,” Naruto said, leaving the lunchbox on his desk and walking to where she was.

On their way out, Sakura couldn’t help but look around, even though this place wasn’t uncomfortable or strange to her. Father Minato had once worked here when she’d been just a mere teen. Now, the workplace belonged to his son. “So you’re going to be pretty busy?”

Naruto sighed heavily and gave her a court nod. “The suspect isn’t cooperating. I have no choice but to let him rest.”

“I saw the news. I can’t believe people like that exist.”

“Would a bastard like him know how precious life is, I wonder? Apparently, this is his third murder case.”

Sakura smiled pitifully. “I thought he seemed like he’d led a rough life with what Temari said.”

“As I told you before, he has quite an interesting record, going as back as almost eighteen years ago. He really is an –”

“Naruto,” the addressed blond looked toward the direction of Shikamaru’s voice. “The results are ready.”

Naruto raised his hand and massaged his neck, releasing a heavy breath.

“I’ll see you later,” Sakura said, and walked over to her car. Naruto waved his goodbyes at her.

“Bring him to me again,” Naruto ordered. Seeing the ID prints with his own eyes was making him feel disgusted, so much so that he lost all his appetite. That fucking bastard… he still dared to deny it.

Naruto shot a glare toward the dark-eyed man when he was tossed in his seat by Shikamaru and Suigetsu. In his heist, he tossed the results in front of him as well.

“That is a report of the fingerprint ID at the murder scene,” Naruto explained. “Your fingerprints were all over the house.” He felt satisfied when the bastard’s eyes kept growing wider with every word he uttered. “The knife, the doorknob, the suitcase, a glass of water and you know what more,” he leaned closer. “You also got a positive on the drug test.”

“Wh–what?” Naruto saw the Uchiha trying to fold up his sweater and even he could see the place where he’d taken the shot.

“Let me guess what you’re going to say next,” Naruto started. “ _No, I didn’t do it. It’s all a misunderstanding. You’ve got the wrong guy…_ right? You’ve been working like a broken track.”

“Those are exactly what I was going to say,” Sasuke said in a shuddering tone. “I didn’t do it.”

“There aren’t any fingerprints in that house except for yours and the victim’s.”

“Then what about the person who hit me?”

Naruto scowled. “I think I know how your day went.” He ignored his question. “On that day, you came to her house after you got high. She was about to leave but you asked for a glass of water and begged her not to.” He heard the Uchiha swallow. “She didn’t listen to you, of course, so you couldn’t control your anger and took out a knife and –”

“Why aren’t you a writer?” Sasuke chuckled miserably. “Not even… who would even think of such a scenario? I’ve cheered myself around a lot of times, but not with married women.”

“How did you know?”

“She’d told me that herself.” Sasuke sighed. “I did not take drugs, and I wasn’t even angry at that time. Something in my life had finally started working for the better. I was,” a tear made its way down. “I was finally needed. I didn’t have any reason to kill her. So stop writing fanfictions about my life.”

Naruto scoffed loudly. “You bastard. You’ve got quite the nerve to be–”

“OW! LEAVE ME ALONE. WHAT ARE YOU DOIN–”

An officer dragging what looked like a drunk man with him interrupted them, and Naruto was left feeling his eyebrows twitch. “Shut him up already.” He ordered.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat. “You can continue with this all you want, but there’s nothing out there that proves what you’re saying. You’re free to leave for your cell again.”

* * *

 “It’s almost your bedtime. What are you doing?” Boruto said while taking a sip of water.

Sarada glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. “I’ve been thinking a story on my mind. I’m just trying to put it on paper too.”

“But isn’t that your sketchbook?”

She hummed in confirmation, as she hooded the character’s eyes.

“Let me see! I’m curious.” Boruto sat at the edge of the bed. “Is it just me or does it look like this dude is about to cry?”

Sarada raised her head and winked at him. “Just how smart are you to guess that even though I’ve just begun?”

“Humph, you give me way too much credit.”

“I thought I gave you less.”

“I know a thing or two. You know just how much I love photography.”

“How can I not know?” Sarada giggled. “A camera is your mightiest weapon.”

“If that line is a reminiscence to that time I fell in the pool with my first cam then please don’t,” Boruto said, a cute pout adorning his face.

Sarada couldn’t help but laugh. It had been a time when their relationship was still going on rocky waters. Sarada and her mom had been living with them for just a short while, and she and who would be her future boyfriend couldn’t stand one another.

Now that she thought about it, it had been shocking to know that her mother had concealed a secret as big as her family… well, adoptive family, from her, but the way the both of them were accepted in the family was tear-worthy.

Sarada hadn’t known the warmth of a home for almost a decade of her life and everything had changed on a night filled with unfortunate events that somehow changed into the most fateful one.

After she’d been adapted to her new life with uncle Naruto and his kids living in the Konoha Apartment Complex, she’d found new friends and new interests in life.

Plus the Complex she’d started living in – and still lived there – was one of a kind, having everything one can need just a lift away.

It hadn’t taken long for her to learn how to swim and wish to live in water for eternity.

On one of the days – she’d been thirteen at the time – she’d been invited in a party on one of Boruto and her friends’ house, well in the backyard of said house, by the pool. Their friend Shinki had hosted a birthday party and he’d been quick to boast over his rich-kid lifestyle.

Sarada could recall his parents, a very good-looking man with red hair and pale green eyes and uhm… great eyeliner skills. She remembered that he had the kanji “Love” tattooed above his right brow. His mother, on the other hand, was a lovable Chinese woman with brown hair and warm hazel eyes, the cutest woman she’d ever gazed upon if she was to say so herself.

And as always… she and Boruto didn’t see eye to eye at that time.

_“Isn’t it enough that I run to you every day at home?” Boruto had approached her, wearing a nice dark pink shirt over a white blouse and a digital camera hanging on his neck._

_Sarada had looked at him with a raised brow. “I was invited too.”_

_“You could’ve refused.”_

_“Why should I?”_

_“Because I don’t want to see you? How about that for a change.”_

_Sarada rolled her eyes. “The door is behind you.”_

_Boruto had moved to stay close by her. If he’d been any taller he might’ve towered over her too. “You seriously piss me off, and it’s been almost three years. Just leave.”_

_“I can’t even take you seriously anymore, you blithering idiot.” Sarada sighed, feeling annoyed._

_“Listen to me. How about you make your own friends and leave us alone? Hmm?”_

_“And what are you gonna do if I don’t do that?” she smirked._

_“I’ll end it all.” He said smugly and turned his back to leave. It just so happened that he didn’t know he had the pool right under his feet and he fell with a cry._

Boruto’s laugh jolted her away from that short memory. She looked at him, slightly wondering how much he’d changed from back then. Both of them had changed.

“What did I say to you that time?” he began. “Something I’ll end it or whatever. Damn it was me who got finished.”

Sarada couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “Oh, come on. It was a proper punishment for you.”

Her boyfriend snorted. “You say that, but not only did I end up having a cold, I also became the school’s laughing stock for a month after that.”

“And that’s the main reason why Chocho is my best friend.”

“It takes one to know one.” Boruto murmured.

The door of her room clicked open and the two saw a familiar pink head come in. Sakura made her way toward them and gave Sarada a small peck on her cheek.

“Boruto, you should go home tonight.” She said. “Naruto is pulling an all-nighter, and Hima will be left alone.”

Boruto sighed. “Yeah, you’re right, auntie. Dad is working so much again that I wouldn’t be surprised if he is found sleeping on the streets at this point.”

“Don’t be like that,” Sarada said. “He’s busy with that murder case, remember.”

“I’m not being mad. I’m just worried,” said Boruto, shoving his jacket around his shoulders. Bending over, he shamelessly took Sarada’s lips in a quick kiss. “Goodnight. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Sarada blushed slightly and bit her lip. “Goodnight. Chat me up when you go home, okay.”

“I will,” he said. “Night auntie.”

“Be careful.” Sakura saw him out. Walking over to Sarada again, she noticed her drawing and chuckled. “Is it your original character?”

Sarada nodded her head. “Yeah. I just can’t come up with a pair of eyes for him yet, so I’m just hooding them over.”

“Is he sad?”

“I could say he’s lived a rough life,” Sarada replied, drawing a fine shade over the paper yet again. “How did you and dad meet?”

Sakura’s breath halted. “Wh–where did that come from?”

“I want to take some inspiration,” Sarada said softly. “And I’ve been curious to know. It’s been almost eighteen years and I still don’t even know what my dad looks like.” she lied.

Sakura hummed under her breath. Sarada could very much lie if she wanted something out of anyone. Sasuke had the Kurama toy after all.

“Well,” Sarada inquired. “Will you tell me or not?”

“It was during my road to University.” Sakura blurted out, thoughtlessly. “I was being late for my first exam and there was no taxi.” She put her chin over her palm as she thought of it. “He was riding with a scooter and we almost had an accident. He stopped in time thank God.”

Sarada smiled.

“I remember him saying ‘Sorry’ and I just took the opportunity and made him feel guilty. So to pay me back, he offered to give me a free ride.” Sakura giggled and gave off a sigh. “Deep down, I was really thankful.”

Sarada put her pen down, a feeling of sadness suddenly overwhelming her. What had happened to them? Why had papa not wanted them? She’d have to ask him herself one day.

“I thought you wanted to know because of inspiration?” Sakura said.

Sarada faked a yawn. “I can get inspired by such a memory, but I’m tired now.”

“Okay, sleep then. I’ll be here.” Sakura said, turning off the lights.

Yeah, Sarada would definitely get her answers soon.

* * *

  _It’s a cold night!_ The pale-skinned man could conclude when he stepped off his car and entered into the passenger seat of another one. Riding up the hill in the middle of the night just so he could meet up with that powerful woman was both lame and ideal in some different ways. And it was ridiculous just how cold a March night could get.

“Have you emptied that house already?” the woman asked in a low voice.

“Yeah, after the police left, my people went there.” He answered, slightly annoyed at the woman’s authoritative tone.

“And?”

“What ‘and’? They found nothing.”

“That woman – Denny, or whatever the hell her name is – is Hinata Hyuga’s personal spy, and she was there that night.” The woman turned to look at him. “Hinata Hyuga has been on our necks for years. Do you think she won’t connect that murder with us?”

“She still doesn’t have any proof.”

“You don’t get it, do you? Once she returns from New York, she’ll investigate. What if she gets wind of what we discussed in that house and she destroys the _business_?” she glared. “I cannot lose this opportunity, Orochimaru.”

“Uchiha will be blamed, don’t worry.”

“Uchiha, Uchiha, Uchiha.” The woman said, exasperated. “Don’t you think that she won’t know, just like she did so many years ago? In fact with the Uchiha being blamed again, she won’t even need investigation?”

“Well, what do you want me to do, Terumi?”

“Are you seriously waiting for me to spell it out for you?” Mei said. “Shut his mouth.”

“He won’t talk–”

“Forever!” Even if it wasn’t something that Orochimaru hadn’t done before, the way Mei said it… it made him feel chills. “Kill Sasuke Uchiha.”


	5. Escape

“Boruto! Wake up!” The addressed guy hummed his response sleepily, feeling a soft hand slide painfully slow across his bare chest. “Wake up while I’m still in a good mood.” He heard Sarada whisper close to his ear, her hot breath, able to wake even the dead.

He opened his left eye and flashed a grin. “Who says I want you to stay in a good mood?” he asked. “Maybe I’m up for your claws instead, hmm?”

She slapped his shoulder. “You sure can talk a lot for someone asleep just seconds ago.”

Boruto pouted, hoping to look cute with his bed hair and face. “But I’m not lying–”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Sarada interrupted. “Hurry up for breakfast. We need to meet up with Himawari. She’s going to choose her wedding dress today or did you forget?”

Boruto groaned. “Why do _I_ have to come along though? Isn’t shopping something only girls do?”

Sarada snorted and gave him an eye-roll. “Stop being such an idiot so early in the morning and _get up_.”

Her order was absolute, no matter what that said about the blond’s manliness. “Fine, fine. Let me grab my clothes.”

Sarada nodded and left the bedroom and Boruto rose off the bed. His phone vibrated suddenly, his sister’s smiling face showing up on the bright screen. Boruto wondered for a short second why she’d called him and not Sarada. He answered.

_“Where are you?”_

“Good morning, sis.” He could almost _see_ Himawari roll her blue eyes, the same color as his.

_“I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour now. Don’t you know how hot it is today? You better say you’re on your way or else!”_

“Ugh– sis, how about you buy some ice cream or something while you wait for us because we’re not on our way yet. She just woke me up.”

He expected her to be angry but to his surprise, he was met with silence, for a short time.

 _“Boruto… who’s ‘_ we _’?”_

Now it was Boruto's turn to be silent.“Huh?” he asked in confusion. “What do you mean ‘who’s we?’. Sarada and me of course.”

This time all he heard was a shaky breath being released.

_“I’m gonna call dad. Brother, you… you need help. This can’t go on like this.”_

Was she crying? Boruto frowned, pretty sure that she wouldn’t be able to see it. He turned to look toward the windows and saw just how much darker it looked outside even though it was supposed to be morning.

“Himawari, I… I don’t understand what you mean?” he tried. “Why are you like this first thing in the morning?”

_“You don’t understand what I mean?”_

She screamed and Boruto flinched, barely resisting the urge to switch the phone shut. His sister yelled again.

_“Sarada has been dead for years now. How do you expect me to be?”_

Boruto’s eyes widened. “You’re lying,” he said slowly. Of course, she was lying. Sarada had been the one to wake him up just now. How could a dead person wake someone up? “You’re lying,” he repeated. “You’re lying! You’re lying! You’re lying!”

“AAAHHHHH!”

He woke up with a scream, his whole body covered in sweat. He swore he could hear his heartbeat like a drum. Shaking, he got off the bed and made his way to the balcony. The breeze hit him and it felt like it stole all the breath he had left.

He slowly made his way downstairs, opening the refrigerator to get something to drink, careful not to wake Himawari up. He had no wishes to go to sleep again, for sheer fear that maybe he’d have that nightmare again. He had long nights coming up, Boruto could conclude. Up until Sarada would go through her operation. Up until they would finally be happy again.

For now, he needed to calm himself.

* * *

 The gentle late-winter breeze brushed behind her navy blue locks as Himawari was waiting for Inojin for a walk together to school.

She’d woken up earlier than usual today, faintly hearing the noise her brother was making in the living room, probably not being able to sleep at all. It hit her like a boulder, the fact that no matter how much she wanted to comfort him, he would remain worried but with a strong-looking façade all over his face.

Himawari shook herself back to the present and rubbed tensely at the bridge of her nose, slightly getting irritated at her earphones for constantly playing a boring song and causing her ears to bleed.

It didn’t take long before she spotted the guy she’d been waiting for all this time – ten minutes, to be exact – and she gave him a slow wave, enough for him to know that she wasn’t in the mood for their natural Public Display of Affection ever since they’d started dating for more than a year… right before Sarada had been diagnosed.

Their family, as per usual, had organized a big Christmas party, and the kids had been shoved into a room by themselves not to ‘bother the adults’. Someone needed to tell them that they were almost adults too, but Himawari could guess that nobody was brave enough.

It just didn’t make any sense… it was Christmas for crying out loud. A time one should spend with their loved ones. Anyway, long story short, they’d played truth or dare… Himawari wished she could groan out loud now that she caught sight of the school, walking while Inojin was holding her hand in a warm grasp. Boruto would probably be absent yet again.

And so the story went on like this; Iwabe dared Inojin to ‘throw a kiss’ to the person he thought to be the prettiest in the room. Boruto had teased him to no end and had beamed with joy, causing Sarada to shake her head at him but chuckle nonetheless.

All of us had thought that the ‘lucky person’ was going to be the Class Prez, but to everyone’s surprise, and Boruto’s irritation, it had been Himawari herself. And Inojin did _not_ throw a kiss at her. He’d walked toward her and cupped her cheeks. Before anyone could even react to what was about to happen, Inojin had stolen her first kiss.

He had received his first-ever punch from her brother, too.

Ever since that night, Himawari had seen herself getting closer to him and eventually become official too, meanwhile, Inojin and her brother’s friendship had suffered quite. They were still friends, just… each meeting they’d had afterward started with a vicious glare on her brother’s end.

Himawari would’ve chuckled if not for the fact that she had no strength to do it, her mind too bothered with Sarada and her brother.

They entered the classroom and she was immediately snatched to the side by Chocho and Sumire, while Inojin walked toward Shikadai after he let go of her hand, not forgetting to give her a gentle and comforting squeeze.

Once in her seat, she readied herself for the questions that would get thrown at her, for the congratulations and questions for Boruto. She’d prepared those answers beforehand anyway.

“Thank you. Sarada appreciates it, don’t worry. No, the donor has wished to remain anonymous, and no, Boruto doesn’t have any plans to return just yet,” she said, but it almost felt as if she was reciting lines she’d learned for the acting class.

Chocho beamed at this nonetheless, exclaiming happily on how Sarada's mom must feel right now. Aunt Sakura was more than happy from what Himawari could tell on her last visit. She was happy but… Himawari could recognize that unmistakable look of longing on her visage.

She'd had that look on her face more times than she could count.

To this day, when she was only weeks far away from reaching eighteen years of life, she's never known her mother.

 _"She's gone!"_ she recalled her dad's words the moment she'd finally come to know what those words truly meant. Her mother was gone. Her mother was lost…

_Her mother was dead!_

She was relieved at the fact that Aunt Sakura wouldn't be going through the same pain with her daughter as Himawari did with her mom.

Ever since dad brought Aunt Sakura to their house and introduced her as his adopted sister Himawari had made quick work and attached herself to her shamelessly, the greed for the love and warmth only a mother can offer too irresistible for a weak soul like her.

She chuckled inwardly, bringing up a hand to help rest her chin. Aunt Sakura wouldn't too fond of that last thought of hers. _"Anyone who wins against pain can never be weak. Crying doesn't make you weak, either."_ Himawari closed her eyes and heaved a quiet sigh of contentment at remembering the words she'd once said to her after she'd successfully waken Himawari up from one of her nightmares.

"Care to introduce yourself?"

Himawari jolted up in surprise, a quiet gasp escaping from her throat. A guy whose age couldn’t be past twenty looked at her with an unimpressed gaze and if his constant tapping on the floor with his shoes was indicating anything at all, he was running out of patience.

“Who are you?” _Oh God! Oh God! Oh my freaking God!_ What the hell did she just ask him?

The guy towering over her looked as if he was fuming silently behind his edgy persona - which he probably was - but then he, much to Himawari’s surprise, raised a pierced brow in amusement. _How has the school agreed to employ someone with this code of fashion?_ Himawari wondered. His sense of accessory-choosing was interesting, to say the least. The rectangle-shaped glasses gave him the look of this very mature and low-key nerd guy, while the piercing was such direct contrast to them… Himawari couldn’t quite place a finger on it.

“Oh, I see how it is,” he says, stealing her from her inner thoughts once more. “You won’t give me your name if I don’t give you mine first, correct?”

 _What the...?_ Himawari’s eyes widen and she laughs awkwardly, an action that ends with a soft cough. The tension in the air around her feels almost like it’s strangling her. “I’m Kawaki,” he says. “Your math teacher’s substitute. And who is this missy here?”

Himawari feels her brows twitching but she avoids looking at him as she replies, “My name is Himawari Uzumaki. I’m sorry for earlier… _sensei_.”

Kawaki-Sensei snorts and walks toward the board again, a few male and female class-peers laugh at the exchange she just had with the new math teacher but he dismisses them as nothing. She narrows her gaze and scowls at his retreating back. The new teacher had just entered in the list of people she didn’t like, and that list had just now been created.

* * *

 Neji groaned as he glanced at his emails one more time. Hinata was coming back, oblivious to everything.

It’s not as if she had entrusted her best friend to him, neither for information nor for protection. Tenten had been a skilled woman after all...

How was he supposed to tell her that her friend had been murdered? How was he supposed to answer her questions, _How is Tenten doing? Is the mission going smoothly?_

Who knows? Neji did believe that Tenten had finished the job since the police and Detective Uzumaki had not recovered any cameras among the suspect, but the linger of doubt was still there. They were dealing with Orochimaru after all.

His phone rang and with trembled fingers, he swiped the green button to answer the call. He knew who it was even without looking at the screen.

Sure enough, the voice of his cousin sounded from another end, loud noise rushing through the phone as well, indicating that she was in the airport. “Hey, Neji! You only send me a car?” she asked. “Why didn’t you come to fetch me?”

How could he say it to her? _Should_ he say it to her now? He knew that this was a bad idea, but he needed her here as soon as possible. She would want to be here as soon as possible. “Neji?” she inquires again. “Are you there?”

“Hinata,” he begins, his voice almost hoarse. “You - you need to hurry back.”

He could feel her questioning gaze even through the phones. “Neji,” she says hesitantly. “Did something happen?”

Neji’s breath shuddered. “Didn’t you check your emails?”

“No, I didn’t have time because Asuma said the same thing to me earlier too, but he didn’t tell me the reason why.”

 _Maybe I shouldn’t tell you eithe_ r, Neji thinks after shoving that thought down forcefully. He’d lied to her only once in his entire life. “Tenten left a message for you. She said… she said _she misses you._ ”

“Huh?” is the only response Hinata gives after the call is ended abruptly. Neji closed his eyes, imagining what his cousin might be doing right now, rushing through the crowds, throwing her luggage somewhere in the backseat and kicking the steering wheel because the car wasn’t starting fast enough.

* * *

 Sasuke woke up before morning hours to the sensation of his breath being taken away from him. He opened his eyes widely and with blurry vision, the only thing he could make out that was in front of him was a man sitting on Sasuke's stomach and with his shoelaces wrapped around Sasuke's throat.

He tried to shake him off at first, but to no avail, because the man didn't even budge. Sasuke could understand, even though his brain was about to lose all oxygen that this guy - whoever he was - had been sent here to kill him and he was so close to finishing the job. Orochimaru was dead set into finishing him for good this time. Third time's the charm after all.

Sasuke had half a mind not to continue to struggle any longer.

_No!_

_His daughter needed him!_

Sasuke had finally things that he couldn't afford to lose, hence why he acted. He used his attacker's weight and changed their position, his fingers itching to do to the guy the same thing he'd just suffered from him. Before he has any chance to do it though, he feels strong arms grabbing him off the guy and dragging him out.

His attacker's words started echoing from the inside of the cell. He got called _a lunatic, a suicidal bastard, a **killer!**_

Sasuke got angry at that, but he didn't pay much mind for long. Anyone could guess that he wouldn't have been able to choke himself with shoelaces, right?

"..."

The blond detective, who seemed barely half-awake was quick to change his blurry blue gaze to a dagger-glaring one the moment Sasuke and an officer he didn't bother to look at the name tag of entered the detective's office.

“I thought I couldn’t be surprised by you anymore, but you are keen to prove me wrong, aren’t you?” he says in a mocking tone. Sasuke doesn’t reply, instead, he brings up his cuffed hands to hold his red neck.

Naruto shook his head. “I thought you said you were finally needed. What pushed you to want to take your own life as well?”

Sasuke looks up at that. He raises a brow, “By chocking?” he asks incredulously. “That other guy woke me up trying to kill me.”

“It’s his word against yours,” Naruto responds immediately. “Not only that, but you’re the one caught red-handed… again.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to choke myself and you know it.”

“Technically, yes,” Naruto nods. “But when it comes to you, logic seems to be flying out of the window.”

“You-”

“Naruto, you up? Oh-” Shikamaru enters the office and halts his steps. “Just the person I was about to ask for. What happened to your neck?” The only response he gets is Sasuke’s disheveled glance from the corner of his right eye. Shikamaru shrugs.

“What is it?” Naruto asks as he’s handled a paper from the newcomer. He opens and read through it quickly, then switches his gaze back to Sasuke. “You’re moving.” He needs to say nothing more because Sasuke is fully aware of what that meant.

Sasuke is all but thrown into the backseat of the police car, accompanied by another officer and another one driving the car. The detective was strangely good enough to offer a towel for his cuffed hands and scarred neck. It eased the physical pain at least.

Sasuke spent half the ride looking out the window, Tokyo’s skyscrapers flying over his eyes, as they moved him away. It was but a split second, Sasuke thinks, but he sees a car speeding over the orange lights, a woman driver with _pupiless_ silver eyes that are filled with tears of pain and frustration and anger, if her constant abuse toward the steering wheel is something to go by.

Then, everything rotates his vision a one-eighty. The car rolls over as a speeding truck drags the car forward before being able to stop. Outside an upcoming motorcycle rolls over as well. Sasuke feels blood running from his injured forehead, as he raises his head off the unconscious officer’s shoulder. The driver is unconscious as well, and Sasuke can see that the car is indeed still working.

People are rushing over. Sasuke tries to change his sitting position and stumbles upon a few keys that had fallen from the officer’s pocket. His eyes widen as the craziest idea ever struck his head. He tries the first pair on the handcuffs, hopefully… the handcuffs click open and all but flies out of the broken window.

Once out, in the chaos, nobody seemed to pay him much mind, especially not a single person was close to the motorcycle that now was driverless, with proper keys intact.

Sasuke swallowed and runs toward it and he has an inexplicable rush of adrenaline when his hands clutch the brakes. The noise the bike makes as it finally starts working and moving as far away as possible from the scene feels like music to Sasuke’s ears. He was riding away, to freedom. To a second chance for his daughter.

He was escaping.

* * *

 “I know that you don’t want this,” Sakura tries. “But you know that this is necessary, right?”

Sarada swallows the lump in her throat, avoiding his mother and boyfriend’s gazes at all costs. Of course, she knows that going into isolation is necessary, and she knows she’s overreacting because the time she’ll spend there is barely anything. But she has that feeling of fear inside of her that she doesn’t know how to call it.

The fear has been there ever since Uncle Naruto went to take care of that murder case.

She finally steals a glance toward her blond boyfriend, but his blue eyes are glued to the ground, hands playing roughly with the hem of his black with pink straps v-necked sweater.

“Sarada,” her mother’s voice sounds again. “What you feel is understandable,” she tries. “But is for your good. I will be there for you…” she halts. “No, we will be there for you.”

Sarada doesn’t switch her gaze but nods nevertheless. It is with her mother and Ino’s help that she is carried outside of her room and onto the wheelchair as they move her to the lift. It goes up, Sarada hadn’t been aware, the hospital had more roofs than where her old room had been.

All the way there Boruto is so uncharacteristically silent and it pains her that she is not able to hear his voice, spouting nonsense for whatever he’d been doing lately. Not that she didn’t know what he’d been up to since he’d been by her side the whole time, but still… she’ll have enough of this deafening silence pretty soon.

They arrive and Sarada regrettably rises off the chair. Before she enters, however, Boruto reaches for her hand, gives a light squeeze and brings it up to kiss on her cold knuckles almost longingly. He then meets her eyes and all the words he had not spoken, all the feelings he couldn’t possibly have conveyed to her yet are sparkling through his shiny blue eyes. Sarada understands and she offers him a smile, before entering inside her new room and having the door closed behind her immediately, everything around her sealed.


End file.
